


Stray Kids

by staystray04



Series: StrayKids: I'm not YOU but I am with YOU [1]
Category: GOT7, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alpha Hwang Hyunjin, Alpha Kim Woojin, Alpha Lee Felix (Stray Kids), Alpha Lee Minho | Lee Know, Alpha Yang Jeongin | I.N, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Bang Chan & Seo Changbin are Best Friends, Bang Chan is mysterious af, Campfires, Chan is tired, Character Death, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fear, Flashbacks, Han Jisung and Lee Felix are crackheads, Han Jisung is an Idiot, How Do I Tag, Hunting, Hwang Hyunjin is a Sweetheart, I promise, I'm sure I forgot something, Insomniac Bang Chan, Jeongin/ chestnuts is a thing, Jisung / getting stuck is canon, Kim Seungmin & Kim Woojin are Siblings, Kim Woojin and Lee Minho are best friends, Lots of Cuddling, M/M, Mentions of blood/injuries, Minor GOT7, Multi, Nightmares, No Smut, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Han Jisung | Han, Omega Kim Seungmin, Omega Seo Changbin, Omegaverse, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Relationships Aren't The Main Focus, Scars, Secrets, Seo Changbin is Soft, Skateboarding, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Survival, The world is destroyed, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, WW3, bang chan is the leader, broken world, chan hates mushrooms, changbin gets stuck once too, don't dare jisung to do stuff!, i love him tho, it gets better after chapter 2, it's not them chill, its better than it sounds, jisung climbs everything, just boys beeing boys, just kiddin, just read the story, lee minho is whipped, nesrin is a sweetheart, post-ww3 AU, screw this, seungmin is a doctor, shopping-cart-race, so does Minho, sorry its my first time, stray kids - Freeform, thank seungmin for saving their asses, the chapters get longer with time, they are only mentioned tho, they're all younger than in reality, this is probs unrealistic, well kinda at least, what is bang chan?, who cares, yall about to get to know jisung's old best friend nesrin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 249,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23051446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staystray04/pseuds/staystray04
Summary: Maybe, Jisung shouldn't have proposed to steal Food from the old apartment-Tower again. But they really needed the first-aid-kit that belonged to the pack that lived there!And maybe, Minho should have just let the intruders go. That probably would have saved him a lot of useless thoughts and nerves.But then again, maybe the two packs were simply destined to meet!_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________aka the post-ww3-AU that no one asked forIt has a lot more plot than mentioned in the summary, i swear! I just suck at summaries!Edited up to chapter 15!WARNING!STORY STILL INCLUDES A CHARACTER NAMED AFTER KIM WOOJIN!FURTHER EXPLANATIONS CAN BE FOUND IN THE LATEST UPDATE OF THIS WORK!
Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Woojin, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Series: StrayKids: I'm not YOU but I am with YOU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700938
Comments: 383
Kudos: 760





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone,  
> this is my first work, that i post here on AO3, so please be patient with me!  
> I decided to post it here, because i wrote a whole ass book and wanted others to read it too, since my Family isn't really interested and i put too much effort into it to share it with nobody else.  
> The Story is completed and i will update weekly, probably on mondays!  
> All comments, critics, kudos, whatever, are appreciated!  
> Have fun reading!
> 
> Also: I've been studying english for the past ten years now, so i deem myself pretty decent at it. Nontheless, it can always happen, that i make a mistake (grammar, spelling, idk). If you find anything, please Report back to me, so i can correct it.  
> Thank you in advance!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!
> 
> This book includes Woojin as a character/a character named after Kim Woojin.  
> Further explanations are in the latest update of this work! Please read this first! (=chapter 32)
> 
> In case, you can’t endure stories containing Woojin‘s Name at the moment, please refrain from reading.  
> I accept that, but for now, the names within this story will remain the same, until further informations about the accusations will be posted!
> 
> Thank you for understanding!

Please read!  
  
This story is set in a made-up time after the third world war, unfolding in what used to be South-Korea, a few hundred kilometers away from Seoul.  
  
The characters' first language is Korean, even if the book is written in English!  
  
Please be aware, that details of the setting may not be entirely realistic, as well as the lifestyle.  
As long as your criticism does not apply to the grammar, the choice of words or obscurities within the plot, I would like to ask you to not comment on things, such as their expanded knowledge on psychological issues, their way of hunting or their hygienic tendencies and methods.  
  
Occurrences of romantic relationships (boyxboy) are mentioned and implied, but they aren‘t part of the main plot!  


Useful information:

Hyung = honorific for males older than the one referring to them  
  
Dongsaeng = expression for males younger than the one referring to them  
  
Maknae = youngest of a group  
  
second genders = divide people into two kinds of groups with slightly different genetics, beyond males and females  
  
Alpha = one of the two second genders; main instinct is to protect; sharper scent; can get riled up more easily; are able to impregnate, regardless of their first gender  
  
Omega = other second gender; main instinct is to preserve; sweeter/calmer scent; more diplomatic and calculating; are able to give birth, regardless of their first gender  
  
Beta = people without a second gender and therefore without instincts, an inner wolf, an individual scent and good sense of smell; genetics similar to the ones of humans before the great war; often looked down upon  
  
inner wolf = name referring to the urge inside a person, that forces them to follow their instincts, e.g. an alpha to protect; also responsible for their basic survival  
  
Mates = overall expression for any kind of bond between two people, that goes beyond blood or friendship (since things like husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, etc. don't exist anymore)

Chapter 1  
  
The darkness of the night enveloped them like an ominous blanket, as the three pack members took a halt next to a shallow trickle of water, that once used to be a proper stream.  
Time and pollution had turned the little liquid that was left into some brown sludge, which stench, Changbin hoped, would cover their scents and therefore hide them from possible revelers or foreign packs.

Hyunjin, who had the most sensitive sense of smell out of them three, wrinkled his nose as he crouched down next to the oldest.  
  
„It stinks!“, he commented with an unamused glare towards the guiltless fluid behind them.  
  
Jisung, the third one out of their small group, nodded in agreement, disgust written all over his face that was barely visible within the forests' shadows.  
  
The oldest rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.  
  
„The stench will cover our own sweet odors, you crackheads! I'd rather smell bad than alluring to other people!“  
  
His remark effectively shut both of his fellow members up.  
They knew just as well as him of the current position they were in, especially without Chan with them.  
  
Jisung sighed before he, too, sat down beside his friends, completing the little circle they were forming.  
Dew seeped through all of their pants, soaking them uncomfortably, but no one complained.  
They had greater things to worry about than wet clothes.

„Alright!“, Changbin rose to speak again.  
„ Let's focus on the problem at hand!“  
  
„Food!“, Hyunjin replied without missing a beat.  
„We need food or we won't be able to focus on anything else.“  
  
„Chan included.“, Changbin added while nodding approvingly, his eyes locking with Jisungs', who had opened his mouth to protest.  
  
Begrudgingly the youngest complied to their reasonable argument, shoving his concern for his friend into the far back of his thoughts.  
Worrying would neither help their leader, nor fill their stomachs.  
  
„But where are we supposed to get food from? We can‘t hunt anywhere near here!“, he pointed out instead, frustration evident in his voice.  
„Other packs would attack us in no time!“ 

Changbin frowned, searching for a solution to their problem within his mind.  
  
Unfortunately Jisung was right, they didn't have a place they could get food from, something they desperately needed.  
  
The aforementioned suddenly gasped, such usually innocent sound now appearing sharp and hostile as it echoed within the silence of the night.  
  
Both older boys whipped their heads up in question, alarmed of what the younger omega had taken notice of but Jisung just shook his head appeasingly.  
  
„Sorry, didn't mean to scare you guys, I just got an idea of where to get food!“, he apologized.  
  
Relieved, Changbin let out the breath he had been holding in while Hyunjin allowed his tensed-up shoulders to sag again.  
They lived in the constant fear of someone detecting them.  
The chances were high, that this someone had intentions not as harmless as simply stealing food for survival.

„Okay, let's hear this idea of yours that almost gave us a heart attack.“, Changbin motioned for Jisung to speak.  
The younger bit his lip doubtingly.  
  
„You won't like it.“, he warned.  
  
Hyunjin snorted.  
  
„Sungie, your ideas are never likable! They are crazy, rash and overall stupid, but we are really out of options here so there's no harm in you throwing your opinion out there as well.“  
  
Jisung stuck his tongue out in the olders' direction before his expression got serious again.  
  
„We could steal from that old apartment-tower we've been to once.“, he explained while setting his cautious gaze on Changbin, who immediately shook his head upon hearing his friends suggestion.  
„No way!“  
  
His voice sounded as deprecating as Changbin felt towards the idea.  
„You know how stupid it is to steal from the same place twice!“  
  
„And Chan-hyung would kill us, if he found out.“, Hyunjin added dryly.  
„If that pack, that lives there, doesn't get the job done first.“  
  
Jisung gritted his teeth at the mention of their leaders' name, his eyes clouding over with pain.  
  
„Well, if we don't get a grip and stop shitting our pants, Chan won't be alive anymore to rip our heads off!“  
  
The youngests' voice was laced with anger and despair and his scent got unmistakably sadder, making the other two shift closer to him unconsciously. 

Hyunjin put his arm around the maknaes' shoulders in the faint attempt of calming the upset omega down. The tall alpha would have liked to let his scent out more to soothe Jisungs' inner wolf but they couldn't risk drawing attention to themselves.  
  
Said boy wiped a stray tear out of the corner of his left eye before fixating Changbin again, who had wordlessly observed his fellow packmates' interaction.  
Determination was written all over his face and a shiver ran down Changbin‘s spine as it dawned on him what Jisung was about to say, even before the youngest opened his mouth to speak again.  
  
„We don't really have a choice, hyung! We have to go!“

Changbin lowered his head at these words, knowing of the truth within them.  
  
Their leader needed food to remain strong and they, too, were evidently short on nutrients.  
A look at his two friends, that sat opposite him, huddled together to give each other comfort and warmth, proved that theory.  
  
Hyunjins usually shining, dark eyes were dull and exhausted, his collarbones protruding under the wide black shirt that should have fit him perfectly, and Jisungs' once puffy cheeks that gained him the nickname 'sqirrel', were now hollow, the rest of his body appearing even smaller than it used to.  
  
Within his own guts Changbin could feel the gnawing hunger that drove them out of the safety of their cabin so many times already before.  
  
He let his mind wander, overthinking every possibility of gaining supplies.  
  
Like Jisung had already mentioned, their best option was to try and steal of that pack in the north.  
Of course they could always try to hunt their own food within one part of the forest that surrounded their location but to turn meat eatable for them they'd have to make a fire and that was as save as entering a hostile packs' main encampment.  
  
It simply wasn't very discreet.  
They'd probably get discovered and chased off the foreign territories in no time.

Since the third world war, where 98% of the human population got eliminated, the people that had survived, had not only developed a second gender and better senses but also a much more aggressive way of living.  
  
Governments had collapsed and with them every working system around the earth.  
Energy and water supplies got lost and destroyed, cattle died or escaped. Many streams and the sea got polluted by chemicals while cities and villages became abandoned because of the lack of humans.  
  
The few that did survive weren't enough to rebuild the earth as it used to be, too busy fighting for their lives, so that nature slowly but carefully reclaimed the world that got destroyed by humanity itself.  
  
The second genders appeared not too long after the end of the war, a timid attempt of mother nature to stabilize the leftover human population.  
  
Over the years, some of the biggest cities became inhabited again, some people forming small communities and trying to fix parts of what had been ruined due to now meaningless quarrels that had costed billions of peoples' lives.  
  
As a result, some schools got reinvented that taught the younger generations basic knowledge, such as reading, writing and sometimes even mathematics. But apart from these few towns, such as LA, Kairo, and Soeul, the world stayed wild and abandoned, except for random packs that started forming, humans that hoped for a better live away from all of civilization.  
  
And out here, the mindset of 'eat or get eaten' that had manifested itself within peoples' heads, remained.  
Not every person out here was out to kill but many were ruthless and had no mercy on others that could possibly endanger their survival.  
  
Kindness was something, that got lost during the past 80 years.

Someone clearing their throat ended Changbin'a string of thoughts.  
When he looked up, his eyes locked with Hyunjins', the alpha still cradling Jisung with one arm while patiently waiting for his decision.  
  
Sometimes Changbin hated being the oldest.  
  
„What about the pack in the east?“, the short omega asked, still reluctant to give in to Jisungs' suggestion.  
„It's closer and their surveillance is not as strong as from the pack from the storage building.“  
  
They had found that out the hard way.  
  
But Jisung shook his head, brown bangs falling into his eyes in the process.  
  
„The eastern pack is way bigger and more violent.“, he explained as a matter of fact. A fact they had learned the hard way as well.  
„If the pack in the north hasn't gained any members, they should only be five, and...“  
  
At this point the youngests' voice trailed off, him biting his lower lip again as he always did whenever he wasn't sure whether or not he should say a certain information out loud.  
  
Hyunjin, however, noticed his reluctance and ushered him to continue by squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.  
  
„Do you guys remember the first time we went there?“, Jisung asked, encouraged by Hyunjin'a support, snuggling deeper into the alphas' embrace.  
  
Envy began growing in changbin’s chest from watching his friends.  
He, too, was an omega, his inner wolf craving for closure during situations like this, but right now was not the time for any kind of sentiment.  
They were on a mission!  
  
So he simply nodded to answer Jisungs' former question.  
  
They had, in fact, been to the storage building the younger was talking about, before.  
  
One month prior while on the search for food, Hyunjins' sharp nose had detected the smell of freshly roasted meat.  
Them being hungry and careless they had followed the scent to a run-down apartment tower in the middle of the forest that was located a little offside the local packs territories.  
  
Patiently, Changbin and the other two had waited for the moon to reach it's peak, indicating the time when most packs were asleep.  
Only then they had taken action.  
  
But they had overlooked the two guards on the roof of the building, that observed their carefully planned attack.  
  
Jisung and Hyunjin had been fast enough to scavenge some of the foreign packs' food but as they escaped, three of the other packs' members had taken up pursuit.  
  
They had chased them down to a cliff that stood within their way - about 12 feet high - and probably would have caught Changbin and the others in that night, if Hyunjin hadn't acted as fast as he did.  
  
The alpha had sprinted ahead with lightening speed, crouching down and serving Changbin and Jisung as a stepping stone by almost throwing them in the air, high enough for both of them to get a grip on the railing of a small fence that was attached to the edge of the cliff, probably once there to prevent people from accidentally falling off.  
  
A soon as the two omegas had been save, Hyunjin himself had used all his power to jump as high as possible towards the awaitingly outstretched hands of his friends, who grabbed him and pulled him over the railing as well, leaving behind three fuming alphas that luckily hadn't been prepared for their track&field-skills.  
  
They had made it back then, but it had been a very close call and Changbin wasn't keen on testing his luck out again, especially not because he feared that the pack would try to track them down by their scent, if they would find them on their territory a second time.  
  
Yet he waited for what Jisung wanted to tell them.  
The younger might have been rash and vivacious but he wasn't stupid and more often than not his observant nature had come in handy for them during their missions. 

Jisungs' doe eyes met Changbins' dark ones as he answered.  
  
„They had first-aid-kits stored away in a room next to the main hall they were staying in.“  
  
Those words made both of the older boys sit up.  
They all thought the same and they knew it as they silently communicated with each other through shared looks.  
  
„Are you sure?“  
  
Hyunjins' voice was low and serious.  
This was information that could literally save lives and the alpha wasn't one to accept halfhearted attempts, if this was supposed to turn into a mission far more important than just to obtain food.  
  
Jisung however, nodded with certainty.  
  
„100% sure, hyung!“  
  
Changbin snorted humorlessly.  
  
„We need at least 120% to even consider pulling through with this.“, he grunted.  
  
Sulkily Jisung pressed his lips together, forming a pout while squinting his eyes at Changbin.  
  
„Fine then, I'm 200% sure. Would that be enough to reassure your overly careful ass?“  
  
Hyunjin chuckled at the boy's snappy remark and let his arm drop of the youngers' shoulders, while Changbin let out an offended gasp.  
  
„That's still 'hyung' to you, you little shit!“, he hissed while dramatically pointing at Jisung, who only blew him a raspberry, not caring whatsoever.  
  
After all, he had only learned about honorifics from Chan. 

But as soon as the playful atmosphere had arrived, the same way it dissolved into thin air again.  
  
„Then it's decided.“, Hyunjin mumbled.  
  
No more words were needed to set up their new target.  
The prospect of first-aid and food in one place were enough to let them disregard the risks that the storage building held.  
  
Because if they were able to succeed, then maybe they could help their leader.  
  
„Alright!“, Changbin took over the lead again.  
He rose to his feet and brushed off his pants that held dirty patches in the places it had had contact with the earthy ground.  
  
„Here goes nothing!“


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing left to say!

Faint moonlight trickled through the trees lining their way towards the old storage building that once used to be a part of a hotel-complex or something similar.  
  
Jisung would have loved to step into the silver shine and let it lighten up the foliage-covered path but he stayed hidden within the dark shadows the trunks around them were casting.  
  
Wherever he could see better, other creatures could, too. He wasn't one to push his luck.

A few meters ahead of him he could make out the shape of Changbins' buff figure, while Hyunjins light steps sounded from behind his back.  
  
All three of them were hyper aware of their surroundings and more than once Jisung saw the omega in front of him flinch because of the distant cry of an animal or the harsh crack of breaking twigs beneath their boots.  
  
The youngest knew how the older was only acting tough and strong, secretly being a sensible fluffball who sometimes wanted nothing more than to be able to let go of all responsibilities.  
  
In every other situation, Jisung would have made fun of him for his jumpiness, but right now was not the proper time for jokes.  
  
And if Jisung was completely honest, he had to admit that he was thankful for the older boys' strength and caring nature.  
  
During times like this, his hyungs broad form meant protection and security to him.

Hyunjin let out a faint hiss, when the forest around them started to clear out and the storage building came in sight, its' cold facade towering over them like an enormous monster.  
  
Changbin and Jisung came to a halt right before the line that separated the darkness of the forests' shadows and the moonlit clearing the structure was build on from another.  
  
They waited for Hyunjin to catch up to them before Changbin pointed at the flat roof of the apartment-tower in front of them.  
  
“There are guards again.”, he whispered as quietly as possible, even though it seemed unlikely for the figures that were visible at the highest storage from time to time, to hear them.  
  
Jisung pressed his lips together in a frustrated manner.  
  
Thanks to the clear sky of this night, the foreign pack members would be able to see them coming as soon as they would leave the cover of the trees.  
  
“Maybe we can try to get in from the backside.”, Hyunjin suggested quietly while throwing a quick glance towards the two watchdogs that hindered them from proceeding with their mission.  
  
Changbin was about to start his way around the building, trying to follow the taller's idea when Jisung caught the hem of his sweater, shaking his head upon the oldest's questioning gaze.  
  
“They have an alround-view from up there, we won't be able to get in without them sighting us.”, he explained, his voice low and mind clouded with contemplation.  
  
Changbins' shoulders sunk at the omega’s truthful words.  
  
“Then how are we supposed to get in?”, he questioned hopelessly.  
  
Jisung let go of the fabric of his friends' clothes and took one step back.  
  
An idea was starting to form within his mind and even though he knew that Changbin wouldn't be a big fan of it - to put it simply - he also knew that they, again, didn't have that much of a choice.  
  
What he was planning on doing was dangerous and in more cases than not, something would probably go wrong, but if it worked out the way he imagined it to, it would get them their wanted supplies.  
  
Bracing himself, Jisung took in a deep breath before answering.  
  
“We won't!”, he repeated.  
“But you guys will!”  
  
When Hyunjin opened his mouth in question, Jisung raised his hand to indicate that he wasn't done talking.  
  
“I will draw the guards' attention towards myself while you enter the building from the opposite side.”, he explained.  
“Once we have everything we need, we flee the same way we escaped last time.”  
  
As Jisung had predicted, Changbin growled disapprovingly, his sharp gaze laced with worry.  
  
“They will know, where we're heading. What if they try to cut off our way back?”, he added for consideration but Jisung brushed his argument off as soon as he finished speaking.  
  
“They won't expect us to come back.”, the youngest stated.  
“Like you already said, it's a stupid and inconsiderate thing to do so they will only recognize us when it's too late.”  
  
“And on top of that the path towards the cliff is a straight one without any turns. They'd have to be way faster than us to cut us off somewhere.”, Hyunjin nodded with thoughtfully narrowed eyes, the mole under his lashes barely visible in the darkness.  
“It's our best shot!” 

Upon his friends mutual agreement, Changbin gave in as well.  
  
“Fine.”, he murmured.  
“But as soon as it gets dangerous, you run, understood?”  
  
Jisung, whom those words had been directed at, lowered his head in submission before letting out a nervous giggle.  
  
“There's nothing to this mission that isn't dangerous, hyung!”  
  
A silent scoff was all he got as an answer before he was ushered off.  
  
They had to act fast to not give anyone from the northern pack the time to detect their scents.  
  
Jisung gave his two friends one last thumbs up before he turned his back to them and dove into the dark shadows of the forest to make his way to the backside of the building while still hiding from the guards' vision. 

Cold leaves of fern were crazing his slim legs - at least that was what Jisung hoped it was – and from time to time the distant cry of an animal reached his ears.  
  
Apart from that nothing broke the heavy silence around him, other than the constant crumbling of foliage underneath his every step.  
  
The eerie atmosphere was starting to get to Jisung and if he had been thinking about teasing Changbin earlier for being scared, he now could feel his own heartbeat quicken with every passing minute.  
  
“Damn me and my stupid-ass ideas!”, he cursed under his breath, trying to somehow fill the quiet air around him.  
  
Of course he was aware that his fear was unreasonable.  
Silence only meant that no overly big creature was following him - a fact that should have calmed him down - but that knowledge wasn't really helping him at the moment.  
  
The darker your surroundings were, the more colorful your fantasy got.  
  
In a very negative sort of meaning.

To distract himself, Jisung focused on his own shallow breathing and on the thoughts of their leader, that awaited them within their cabin in the south-west from the Northern pack's territory.  
  
Alone and in pain.  
  
Chan had done so much for them already, especially for him.  
  
Jisung wouldn't even back out from this mission if his life was on the line.  
  
Which it maybe was, if the omega thought about it properly, but he forbid himself from doing so.  
  
They couldn't afford to fail.  
Chan needed these supplies!

Finally, after seemingly half an eternity, Jisung reached the backside of the building.  
  
He came to a halt right beneath the branches of an old oak that looked like it was made for being climbed on.  
  
The boy threw the majestic tree a short look, remembering all the times before, that he had scaled all the highest locations he could find.  
Be it rocks, trees, hills or ruins of run-down structures, Jisung had always tried to get higher up and had nearly given Chan a heart attack in the process a few times, too, by loosing his footing and pitching headlong to the ground.  
  
Luckily he had never injured himself severely but his leader had scolded him every time nonetheless, always reminding him to be more careful.  
  
Chuckling at the memories, Jisung turned away from the oak that he most certainly would never climb on as much as it tempted him.  
  
To brace himself, he took in a deep breath before focusing his attention on the roof of the apartment-tower where he could still see the shapes of the two bodies that belonged to the foreign pack members.  
  
For Chan!  
  
Jisung gritted his teeth before closing his eyes and starting to let his scent seep out, stronger than he had ever forced it to be before.  
  
This was his part of the plan that he hadn't told his friends about, mostly because he knew that Changbin wouldn't have let him proceed with it, if he had known beforehand.  
  
Strengthening his scent that much was like holding up a neon-sign in front of the rival pack, that said „I am here, come and catch me!“.  
  
It also was exactly what Jisung had intended to do, because it would divert all of their enemies‘ attention away from Changbin and Hyunjin.  
  
His hyung would almost certainly kill him once all of this was over but if this was, what would help his packmates get the medication and leave the building unharmed, then Jisung would die with a good conscience.  
  
He'd much rather live though.  
  
Inhaling the clear night-air once more, that already carried the fresh scent of the upcoming dawn, Jisung lowered his gaze away from the guards as not to show them his knowledge of their location and stepped out of the trees' cover.  
___________

“Man, I love the night!”, Jeongin sighed contently as he leaned against the stony railing that surrounded the deck of the run-down building they had claimed as their own.  
  
It had been a lucky found on Woojins' part a few years ago, which they now all profited from and Minho could safely say, that it was more of a home to him, than anything else had ever been.  
  
Jeongin interrupted his constant scouting and watched the starry sky above them for a moment.  
  
“Don't you too, Minho-hyung?”, he asked the older.  
  
Minho was keeping to the safer middle part of the deck due to his fear of the place’s high altitude, but nonetheless he gave a soft chuckle as he let his gaze wander over the clearing surrounding their home.  
  
Even though he would never get used to the height of their watch-spot he had to admit that nights like this were indeed a blessing, especially if one was out to guard their main encampment, as he and Jeongin were at the moment.  
  
Not every night was as merciful as this one and Minho had spent enough watches out during freezing cold temperatures to know how to appreciate the mild weather.  
  
Particularly since fall had already started to spread its cool fingers, turning the morning dew into rime on some days.

Minho was about to grant himself a glimpse at the stars as well, when suddenly a faint movement on the ground beneath them caught his eye.  
  
Frowning he motioned for his younger friend to take a closer look, unwilling to step forward any further.  
  
However, when Jeongin leaned over the railing and squinted his eyes to make out what had disturbed their watch, all of the sudden a clear scent hit their noses.  
  
A low growl erupted from Minho‘s throat as he eventually did step a little closer to the railing to get a better view at the slim silhouette that slowly made its' way towards the building across the clearing.  
  
“Omega. Alone. Young. Male.”, he stated with a deep voice, now on high alert in the face of a possible enemy.  
  
Jeongin next to him nodded. His nose wasn't as sensitive as Minho's but the scent was unmistakable, even for him.  
  
A weird fuzziness began to invade Minho‘s head because of the strong smell clouding the air.  
It paralyzed the alpha‘s brain, but for some weird reason, the odor seemed strangely familiar to Minho.  
  
As if he had inhaled it at some point before.  
  
He wanted to blame his uneasiness of being so high up, compared with his inner wolfs territoriality but in that very moment it hit him.  
  
The reason why he was so conversant with this particular scent.  
  
He had in fact smelled it once already. 

“I know that boy!”, he growled, hands forming fists and voice dropping even further.  
His obvious anger apparently startled Jeongin, since the younger alpha flinched, but Minho couldn‘t bring himself to care.  
  
“You know him, hyung?”, Jeongin asked timidly, probably as to not rile the older up even further.  
  
Minho only nodded at the youngers question.  
  
“Remember those thieves, that escaped us a few weeks ago?”  
  
When Jeongin hummed in affirmation, Minho added: ”Well, that's one of them!”  
  
Confused, his friend scrunched up his nose.  
  
“How do you know?”, he requested with genuine interest.  
  
Minho growled once more before turning on his heel and heading for the ruinous staircase that led down into the building below them.  
  
“Because I recognized that irritatingly sweet smell of his.”, he answered despite his annoyance, reaching the first step and waving for Jeongin to follow him.  
  
“Come on, we have to tell Woojin!”

__________

At the time the two guards disappeared from their post, Changbin and Hyunjin had already made it inside the huge apartment-tower.  
  
They had taken action as soon as the two alphas were focused on Jisung and had sprinted across the open clearing until they had safely reached the lithic facade of the building, sneaking in through the broken wooden doors that marked the entrance of the northern pack's home.  
  
Inwardly, Changbin was cursing Jisung for using his scent while he tiptoed through the floors that surrounded the main hall, in the attempt to get as far away from the main entrance as possible without waking up the sleeping enemy.  
  
But even though he was furious at his friend, he had to admit that it was a smart move.  
  
Jisungs extended scent would mostly cover theirs and hopefully distract the alphas of this pack enough for Hyunjin and him to get past them without blowing their cover.  
  
Right now, Changbin was in no position to worry about Jisung though, for him and Hyunjin had finally reached one of the back doors that led into the main hall on the second floor the foreign pack was staying in.  
  
Well, at least Changbin thought that there should have been a door once because all that was left of it, was the frame.  
  
Cautiously, he pressed his back against the wall next to the opening, motioning for Hyunjin behind him to do the same.  
  
Jisung had done his part of the plan.  
Now it was time for them to do theirs!

“Okay, you go get the medication and stuff, I'll look for some food!”, Changbin instructed as quiet as possible.  
  
Hyunjin nodded first, but only a second after, the tall alpha halted his movements.  
  
“Hyung, where is the room Sungie said the first-aid-kits were stored in?”, he asked, an insecure tone evident in his now soft voice.  
  
Changbin turned his head to look at his friend incredulously.  
  
“You didn't ask him for proper directions?”  
  
Hyunjin only shook his head.  
  
“He was gone before I thought of it.”, he admitted.  
  
Exasperated Changbin groaned quietly, as he let his head fall back against the cold wall.  
  
“Great!”, he murmured.  
  
“Hey, you didn't think of it either!”, Hyunjin defended himself but Changbin waved him off.  
  
“I'm not mad, I'm just fucking done with this whole thing!”, he deadpanned.  
“Can't we just burn this whole thing to the ground?”  
  
The taller of the two giggled quietly at the joke, easing the mood in the process.  
  
“Seeing as it's a giant building made of stone, I don't think fire is going to do much damage, except for the poor people who live in here.”  
  
Pouting, Changbin let out a huff.  
  
“But trying will make me feel better!”, he whined while in his head he was already searching for another solution to their problem.  
  
They wouldn't have much time to search around but no other idea popped up within his mind and there were no more moments to spare.  
  
Changbin could already hear the nearing steps of the two guards that were on their way to inform their leader of the intruder they had detected.  
  
It was only a matter of seconds before Hyunjin and him had to take action, so Changbin decided to cut things short.  
  
“You're gonna get the food instead while I will search for the kit.”, he ordered, the alpha behind him accepting his instructions without questions.  
  
During times like this, Changbin was the one in charge.

In that moment, the two guards bolted into the room next door, apparently scaring the few sleeping members awake, as startled gasps and groans could be heard.  
  
“What's going on?”  
  
The voice asking the question sounded calm and strong, despite being woken up in the middle of the night.  
Changbin assumed, it belonged to their leader.  
  
“Some omega is walking around on the outside, trying to find a way inside the building.”, another voice answered.  
  
This time, however, Changbin was able to recognize it.  
  
The alpha it belonged to, had been one of their trackers, back during their first time stealing from this pack.  
  
Said alpha had let out a frustrated howl back then, when they had escaped and Changbin was sure that the male wouldn't have mercy on them, if they'd get caught.  
He gulped.  
  
Their situation wasn't getting any better.

“Is he alone?”, the leader questioned.  
  
Changbin would have liked to take a look at them but he was too scared of getting caught to take a peek inside the room.  
  
“Yes but Minho-hyung recognized him as one of the guys that escaped us last time.”  
  
This voice sounded younger and more harmless, yet the words sent a shiver down Changbins' spine.  
Next to him he could sense Hyunjin tensing up.  
  
The pack had already found out about their identity! This would probably make their escape much more difficult.  
  
A wave of fear shot through Changbin‘s body.  
  
What would happen to them if they actually got caught?  
Would they die? Would they get beaten up?  
  
If they wouldn't return home, Chan would worry himself to death, that, Changbin was sure of.  
  
He was one heartbeat away from allowing the wave to transform into a crushing tsunami of panic, when a warm hand reached for his own and squeezed it gently.  
  
As Changbin looked up, his eyes met Hyunjins' dark irises which held a reassuring expression.  
  
The strength of the younger alpha was deliciously contagious and Changbin gave a grateful squeeze back before he took in a deep breath, inhaling the foreign packs' odor and trying to make out the individual scent of that Minho-guy that had been able to recognize Jisung.  
  
Changbin assumed that the alpha had enhanced senses, or at least an enhanced sense of smell, similar to Hyunjin's.  
That could make him more dangerous in the future, especially because the boy seemed more aggressive to Changbin than the others did, but right now, the omega had other things to worry about.

He only stored the knowledge away for possible later use.  
  


“Alright, let's get going then!”  
  
The voice of the other pack's leader filled the hall again, his words ending the two hiding boy’s wait.  
  
“Seungmin, Felix! You guard the main entrance! Don't let anyone in! Minho, Jeongin! You guys come with me!”  
  
Approving hums and shuffling could be heard and Changbin held his breath in the expectation of a head appearing in the door frame next to them and discovering them any second.  
  
But then haste steps faded away in the direction of the main exit, scurrying down the stairs, until silence filled the air around them.  
  
The omega let out a deep sigh while tightening his hold around Hyunjins hand.  
  
Inwardly, he slowly counted down from ten, to make sure, their enemy was definitely gone by the time he reached zero.  
  
“Let's go!”, he whisper-yelled before he pushed himself away from the wall and bolted into the main room, letting go of his friends hand in the process as to not fling him against the door frame accidentally.  
  
From now on, their time was running backwards fast.  
It could only take so long before the foreign pack either caught Jisung or returned into their head quarters.  
  
In the worst case, they would come back with the omega as their hostage. 

The hall was even more spacious than Changbin remembered from the last time he had been here.  
  
Even in the dark of the night that the inside of the building didn't get spared from, the omega could make out the high ceiling that still held remains of colorful paintings that once decorated the room.  
  
In the middle of the hall, a circle of stones had been set up in which middle the embers of a burnt down campfire were still glowing faintly.  
  
Around it, blankets and other soft materials were spread out as makeshift beds while a few meters away, an old shelf leaned against one of the rooms' walls, stocked with utensils and boxes that Changbin knew, contained roasted meat.  
  
All in all, the place looked somehow homey and Changbin couldn't fight the envy invading him for the second time that day.  
  
His own packs' little cabin that served as their momentary shelter, was small and narrow, with more holes in the roof and the walls than he could count, which let in wind and rain and made cold nights even more unbearable.  
  
But now was not the time to get sentimental or the foreign pack would most likely put a hole into _him_ , if they found him here.

While Hyunjin crossed the wide hall to put down his backpack and start filling it with some of the meat from the shelf, Changbin rushed towards the left side of the room where several doors could be seen, all labeled with numbers that once used to be golden.  
  
Now they were rusty and dull, rendering them barely visible within the dark room, but the omega didn't pay much heed to them anyway.  
  
He was only interested in what the doors were hiding.  
  
The first one disappointed Changbin with leading into a completely empty room, safe for dirt and dust.  
But already the second door was a success as upon opening it, the strong scent of herbs and medicine hit his nose.  
  
Lined up on top of an old cabinet that looked like it would collapse any minute, were three identical looking first-aid kits.  
  
Changbin almost squealed in delight.  
First-aid was exactly what they needed.  
Trust in Jisung to remember that detail correctly! 

Hurriedly he went to grab one of the kits but to his annoyance, when he stretched his arms out, his fingertips barely reached the top of the cabinet, let alone the desired item.  
  
Changbin let out an exasperated huff. Times like this made him curse his height.  
  
“Jinnie!”, he exclaimed, his voice being nothing more than a loud whisper in the fear of the two guards that had been left behind to watch the entrance.  
  
Nonetheless, his friend seemed to have heard him because not even a minute later, Hyunjin appeared in the door, backpack flung over his right shoulder.  
  
One quick look at the situation made him realize Changbins struggle.  
  
Smirking, the alpha stepped forward and took one of the first-aid kits with ease before handing it to Changbin who had watched him with his lips pressed together in a pout.  
  
“Any shorter and you would fade out of existence!”, Hyunjin joked, one of his eyebrows arching into a perfect curve.  
  
Changbin flung his middlefinger at him, an offending gesture he had come to know back within the city.  
  
“Any more words and I will personally hand you over to this pack we're supposed to be running from right now!”, he threatened while already stepping out of the room again.  
  
Hyunjin, who followed him, apparently took Changbin’s words to heart, because he refrained from saying anything more.  
  
“We should hurry, I'm worried about Sungie.”, Changbin mumbled with a concerned gaze thrown towards the main entrance.  
  
In here no noise could be heard from the outside but that didn't mean anything.  
The walls of the apartment-tower were pretty thick and Changbin didn't doubt in the least that they were able to swallow every sound that tried to invade the building. 

Hurriedly, Changbin tried to fit the first-aid kit he was still carrying, into his own backpack.  
He was almost done when suddenly a loud growl disrupted the silence of the hall.  
  
“I knew I heard something!”  
  
The voice was so deep that it sent shivers down Changbins spine, making him freeze and look up into the direction it was coming from.  
  
There, in the frame of the main door, stood a slim boy with orange-like hair that hung into his eyes at some parts.  
Dark clothes hugged his body tightly and around his neck dangled a silver metal necklace.  
  
What confused Changbin the most though, were the many freckles that covered the boys nose and cheeks, giving him a cute appearance that contrasted hard with the boy’s deep voice and strong scent that screamed 'alpha' right into the omegas face. 

In that moment, Changbin realized that, as mesmerizing as the boy in front of him looked, he had come to kill them.  
Or at least teach them a lesson on stealing from his pack.  
  
Therefore he zipped his backpack up in one fast movement before flinging it over his shoulder and grabbing Hyunjin - who was motionlessly standing right behind him - by the hand.  
  
“Run!”, Changbin snapped at his friend before pulling the younger with him, hoping the tall boy would wake up from his trance and move on his own.  
  
“Hey, stop right there!”, the foreign alpha behind them shouted.  
By now he had taken up pursue and was crossing the hall towards the side entrance Changbin was heading for.  
  
Said omega would have laughed out loud if he didn't have to save his breath.  
  
As if anyone who got chased would listen to something like that!  
  
When they reached the staircase, Hyunjin finally reacted and started bolting down the steps beside Changbin.  
  
The short boy could hear the breath of the other alpha somewhere behind them and if he hadn't taken notice of his own fear before, he sure as hell did now.  
  
Sweat started forming on his forehead and dampened his dark hair.  
  
If this rival pack caught them, it was over!  
Jisungs plan would go to waste, Chan wouldn't get the help he needed...  
  
These thoughts let Changbin run even faster, rather falling down the stairs than properly taking them.  
  
“Hyunjin! Back door!”, he yelled between heavy breaths.  
  
The alpha seemed to understand, as he skidded around a pillar and headed towards the back of the building.  
  
Changbin had no idea, wether something like a backdoor actually existed in this building but on the other hand, what house didn‘t have more than one door?  
  
He could still hear the rushing steps of their pursuer behind them but to his relief, the freckled boy hadn't caught up to them any further. 

As they passed another turn, a broken window suddenly appeared within their vision.  
  
They were still one storage up in the air but Changbin forbid himself to think about the risks a jump from that height held.  
  
The risk of getting caught was far more dangerous than a few bruises.  
  
“Shortcut!”, he simply wheezed in Theben hopes that Hyunjin would hear him.  
  
Luckily, his friend didn't hesitate. As soon as he reached the window, he swung himself though the frame and disappeared downwards.  
  
Changbin only prayed that they would land on soft grass or something similar, before he, too, jumped feet first through the opening.  
  
Mid fall he could make out his tracker's frustrated howl, before his impact on the ground pressed all air out of his lungs.  
  
Instinctively he let himself fall forward, rolling off over his shoulder but even though this motion let his feet remain unharmed, the hard kit within his backpack bore into his shoulder blades and forced a pained whimper out of him.  
  
A strong hand wrapped around his wrist and he got pulled to his feet, making him stumble shortly, before he regained his balance.  
  
Hyunjins' concerned gaze met Changbins' own.  
  
“Are you okay?”, the alpha asked, worry laced within his voice.  
  
Changbin grimaced.  
  
“Been better.”, he admitted, rubbing his back slightly.  
“But we can take care of that once we're all save and sound!”  
  
With those words, he took off running again, this time heading towards the waiting forest, his friend right behind him. 

Over their ongoing mission the moon had wandered and the darkness of the night had made way for the upcoming dawn that now started to paint the sky gray.  
  
Although Changbin was happy to be able to see better without having to fear to stumble across showing roots or scattered stones, he hoped the trees would hinder the light to reach their path.  
  
If the shadows were dark enough, the foreign pack would have more trouble tracking them down.  
  
Somewhere from the right he could distinguish muffled shouts and the cracking of branch-wood, indicating that Jisung hadn't let himself get caught yet.  
  
Hyunjin beside him began to give sharp whistles to tell the youngest of their success.  
  
Hopefully, they would bump into Jisung on their way towards the cliff.  
If they could make it there, they would be save for the time.  
  
That thought in mind, Changbin dashed into the forest.  
__________

Felix couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the two intruders head straight for the broken window within the wall to their right.  
  
“Are you insane?”, he panted.  
“You're gonna kill yourselves!”  
  
But his words got swallowed up by their steps and his own loud breathing, never reaching the two boys ears, as they didn't even hesitate for a second but jumped right through the wooden frame that once held glass.  
  
Felix came to a skidding halt right in front of the opening with an exasperated howl.  
  
This was the second time, he only saw the back of their heads as the intruders escaped him and it itched Felix.  
  
Normally, he was a pretty fast runner but yesterday, him and Seungmin had spent the whole day running around and exploring and if he was honest, his legs still felt like jelly from the exhaustion.  
  
Probably the reason why Woojin had left him behind and had taken Jeongin with him instead, even though the dark-haired alpha was younger than Felix.

The alpha shook his head to free his mind from unnecessary thoughts and squinted his eyes to focus.  
  
During that moment when he had made eye-contact with the short boy from before, the omega had been busy putting something away, something that hadn't been food.  
  
They stole something from them and Felix was trying his hardest to find out, what is was.  
  
While he headed back towards the main entrance, where Seungmin was still on watch, he replayed the scene again and again in front of his inner eye.  
  
The thing had been square and white, like a box-...  
  
The realization hit him like a truck.  
  
Of course, how hadn't he thought of it before?  
  
Determined the alpha forced his protesting legs into another run, scurrying down the stairs leading to the main door.  
  
When he rounded the last corner, he almost crashed into Seungmin that had been waiting for him, leaned against the door frame.  
  
“They stole one of our first-aid kits!”, Felix explained with no further introduction, still panting between his words.  
  
Man, if this was over, he would lie down and sleep for three days straight!

Seungmins' usually puppy-like aura turned into the one of a raging hound.  
  
He normally was friendly, only turning into a little devil whenever he was playing tricks on his pack mates or while insulting them every time he found himself above their intellect.  
  
Which happened a lot, since the young omega was by far the smartest out of their pack.  
  
But if someone laid hands on his utensils that were stored away within a special room that no one was allowed to enter without the boys presence, then that someone had certainly written their own death sentence.

Felix watched Seungmin step out of the door into the still dark morning air, his own heart finally beating at a normal pace again.  
  
The omega put his hands to his lips, forming a tunnel before a loud shout left his mouth, gaining the attention of Minho, who was just about to run past them across the clearing.  
  
Upon the yell, the alpha came to an abrupt halt and changed his direction to jog over to the awaiting omega.  
  
“What's going on?”, Minho was a little out of breath from his previous hunt but his eyes still shone with fierce determination.  
The hot-headed alpha had always been the most protective one out of their pack, so it didn‘t surprise Felix in the least, how eager the older seemed to catch their enemy.  
  
“They stole more than just food this time.”, Seungmin informed Minho, his gaze dark.  
“One of our first-aid kits is gone, too.”  
  
The alpha‘s scent got sharp with anger and Felix unconsciously took a step back as not to get into Minho’s vision.  
  
He understood his reaction, though.  
  
Medicine and proper band-aids were something almost impossible to find these days but essential for survival if one of them got injured.  
  
Seungmin and Jeongin had been lucky to find three of them within the abandoned apartment-tower and no one out of their pack wasn't ready to give even one of them up.  
  
Especially not because one of the three kits had already been used once. 

“I'll get it back!”, Minho promised, a low growl evident in his voice.  
  
Seungmin nodded.  
  
“I'm counting on you!”, he simply answered, before both boys simultaneously made a 180 turn and left in their respective directions, Minho running back into the forest, while Seungmin returned to Felix, who had observed the whole scene silently from his spot within the door frame.  
  
Shortly, it was quiet and Felix' thoughts wandered back to the dark-haired omega he had copped within their home before.  
  
If he put his mind to it, neither the short boy nor the pretty tall one, that had been standing behind him, had appeared very mean or vicious.  
  
Actually they had looked rather scared and desperate.  
  
Maybe they really were just hungry.  
  
Seungmin's calm voice interrupted Felix' string of thoughts.  
  
“I say, Minho-hyung brings home more than just the first-aid kit.”  
  
Felix threw the tall boy text to him a questioning glance.  
  
“I bet they will come back as seven, bringing the intruders home with them.”, the omega elaborated in a casual tone.  
  
A grin spread over Felix face.  
  
“We don't even have anything to bet with, you crackhead!”, he chuckled, his low voice getting a little more high-pitched during his laugh.  
  
Seungmin only shrugged.  
  
Felix was about to turn his focus back towards the forest, when something caught his attention.  
  
“Wait!”, he mumbled.  
“You said seven. Shouldn't they come back as six if they bring the intruders along?”  
  
Slowly, his friend turned towards him and fixated him with a profound expression set within his gaze. After a few seconds he finally answered with a low voice.  
  
“No one breaks into the home of the same pack twice and steals a first-aid kit right from beneath their noses, ignoring all possible risks, without needing it.”  
  
Thoughtfully, Seungmin let his brown eyes wander along the brightening horizon that was slowly gaining colors, such as blue and orange, before he quietly added:  
  
”And none of the three intruders was the one hurt.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way: this Story is inspired by the 'I am You' - Music Video (Stray Kids)  
> Because there they are on top of a storage building or something similar and after watching the vid, my mind somehow went off, resulting in this book.

Jisung felt as if his lungs were on fire.  
  
Ever since the foreign pack had left their residence to track him down, he had been running around to avoid their greedy claws that tried to catch him.  
  
Especially one particular alpha had been extremely persistent, not letting up on Jisung in the least.  
  
By now, the omega was sure that he had rounded the whole building about twenty times already, the fuming alpha at his heels.  
  
To say, Jisung wasn't scared, would have been an understatement.  
He was fucking terrified and the fact that the boy behind him was a fast one who seemed to have a lot of breath, didn't help his situation at all.  
  
But a few seconds ago, the alpha had finally disappeared from behind him, following a yell that sounded from the entrance of the apartment-tower.  
  
At first, Jisung had panicked that the pack might have caught Changbin and Hyunjin, but when only heartbeats later the faint whistles reached his ears, indicating that they had made it, his heartbeat had evened out again.  
  
As much as that was possible while full-blown sprinting through the woods at the crack of dawn!   


Jisung made a sharp turn, away from the building and started running homewards.  
He had to catch up to his friends.  
  
Exhaustion wavered in the back of his head, paralyzing his limbs now and then and making him stumble, but Jisung kept running.  
  
Normally, he'd have more stamina but the hunger had taken a toll on him and he hadn't slept properly yesterday either, making it harder to concentrate with every passing minute.  
  
Which was why he noticed the alpha to his side a tad too late and before he had time to realize what was happening, a heavy weight crashed into him from the left and swept him off his tired feet.  
  


Jisung let out a pained yelp, when his right shoulder collided with the hard ground, foliage and mud splattering in every direction, before someone grabbed his arm harshly, turning him onto his back and holding him down, making his back arch a bit because of his backpack.  
  
The omegas widened eyes met dark ones as he looked up, the alpha above him staring down at him with an angered gaze.  
  
“Got you!”, a low voice growled right beside his ear, as the stranger leaned closer.  
  
Helplessly, Jisung tried to free his arms and shove the boy off of him but to no avail.  
  
_He was trapped!_  
  
Panic started to rise within Jisung’s guts.  
He began squirming desperately, throwing himself from one side to the other in the attempt to make his opponent loose his balance but the alpha only tightened his grip.  
  
_'Please, no! Not now!'_ , Jisung begged his own mind for mercy, when he felt the panic attack approaching.  
  
He really needed himself sane and working right now, not a hyper sensitive bundle of nerves, but he couldn't help it.  
  
His current position - trapped underneath the weight of a hostile alpha - brought memories back, that Jisung would rather forget forever.  
  
Memories of hot breaths against his throat and aggressive hands on his body, ripping off his clothes and hurting him, ready to destroy his entire being.  
  
Darkness began to engulf Jisungs line of vision, even blacker than the dim light of the forest around them and pictures appeared in front of his inner eye, flashbacks that tortured him and drove him closer to insanity.  
  
The face of the alpha above him disappeared, getting swallowed by the darkness of Jisungs mind and replaced with the mug of someone who had chased him with far worse intentions than just to revenge some food he stole. 

  


A hysteric sounding screech escaped Jisung’s lips as he thrashed his head around, only missing a nearby stone with a few millimeters.  
  
Startled, the alpha above him leaned back and even though Jisung was caught within his trauma, his instincts kicked in, determined to make him survive and escape from his enemies claws.  
  
Running on autopilot, the omega drew his knees up to his chest before kicking his predator with all his might, feet colliding hard with the foreign boys' stomach.  
  
Said alpha let out a pained groan, as he got shoved backwards, sending him tumbling over the slippery ground and landing on his ass while clutching his sore guts tightly.  
  
Jisung didn't waste a second to get back onto his feet and start running again, adrenaline dispelling his exhaustion.  
  
Behind him, he could hear the alpha take up pursuit once more but he didn't dare to look back, his fear impelling him even more and his mind filled with the one single thought of getting away.  
  
His breath was heavy, his muscles stinging but he ignored everything, only focusing on his way-over-the-top heartbeat and the faint noise of cracking branches somewhere on his left that indicated Changbin's and Hyunjin's escape path.  
  
He had to make it!  
__________

Incredulously, Minho watched the back of the foreign omega disappear within the shadows of the forest, the boys heavy breathing slowly fading away in the distance.  
  
His stomach still ached from his opponents forceful kick and slowly but carefully Minho felt rage start to boil up within him.  
  
Normally he wasn't a sore looser but this was the second time this mysterious boy with the annoyingly sweet scent was about to escape him after stealing from their supplies and even though, Minho wasn't one to hold grudges, the protective side of his inner wolf over his pack started to stir.  
  
Screw that, he also held grunges!  
  
Growling he jumped back onto his feet and began following the fleeing boy, tracking him down by the trail of his odor.  
  
While chasing after the omega, Minho sharpened his senses.  
  
His hearing and smelling abilities were exceptionally more distinct than the ones of others and this fact had come in handy for him and his pack many times before.  
  
Now, he could discern the panting and the rushing steps of two other people, aside from Woojin and Jeongin, who were somewhere not far behind him.  
  
The foreign omegas' pack mates?  
  
A whiff of their scent that crazed Minhos' nose, confirmed his assumption for it were the exact same smells as from the intrusion a few weeks ago.  
  
For a short moment, he began wondering.  
Whether the three boys were alone.  
Whether there was no pack waiting for them.  
None of them was a real leader, Minho could tell that much from their behavior.  
They were insecure and careful, as if a strong part of their group was missing.  
  
The alpha's head kept spinning, trying to put together puzzle pieces and create solutions to his theories while his lower body kept him on the intruders' heels.  
  
But Minhos thoughts quickly dispersed, when, after him dodging the shuddering branches of a bush, the silhouettes of his targets appeared in front of him once again.  
  
Like a heavy wave their scent swept over him and overwhelmed him for a moment, now that they weren't trying to hold it back anymore.  
Filled with the sour stench of fear and adrenaline, but also the sharp smell of determination.  
  
It caught Minho off guard and almost made him stumble mid-run, a frown starting to spread on the alphas face.  
  
The three boys seemed to have accepted death, or at least something along the lines of it, as one possible outcome of their actions.  
How desperate did one have to be to neglect the insurance of one's own well-being, just to succeed?  
  
Thundering steps on both of his sides, startled Minho, effectively ripping him away from his string of thoughts.  
  
He had been so focused on the three escapees that his senses hadn't even detected his own pack mates arrival.  
  
Carefully as to not trip over one of the many roots that covered the elastic soil in this part of the forest, Minho shot Woojin a side-glance.  
  
His leader was running to his right, his unflinching gaze set on the fleeing boys backs.  
  
Out of the five of them, Woojin had the most stamina, being able to run around for hours without even breaking a sweat and right now, too, he was only taking deep breaths instead of panting like an idiot, other than everyone else.  
  
Even though technically, their pack didn't have a proper leader, since the older alpha hated ranks and everything that came with it due to his past, Minho liked to think of Woojin as the captain.  
  
Woojin was the oldest and therefore often the one who made the final decisions, so it only made sense to put him at the top of their pack and Minho had always liked the idea of knowing exactly where his place in their group was.  
  
Sure, he was their friend and hyung, but knowing, that not everything was being put on his shoulders, not every responsibility being his burden to carry, was something that put him at ease.  
  
Even now, calmness and strength were radiating from the oldest's form, once again impressing Minho as it did so many times before already.  
It made him glad to be able to be a part of his pack every time he thought about it.  
  
Minho threw Jeongin a scrutinizing look as well, just to check whether their youngest member was able to keep up with their pace but his worry seemed unnecessary as the slender alpha was running to his left, his recently long-grown legs seemingly flying over every hindrance nature had bristled their path with.  
  
The buff-looking one of the three intruders, however, wasn't so lucky.  
  
When he threw them a glance over his shoulder, his short legs got caught by a stub and sent him flying forward.  
  
The boy was able to roll off over his shoulder and get up again, only barely interrupting his run but Minho could see him wince the moment he landed on his backpack.  
  
Of course! This boy had to be the one carrying the first-aid-kit with him!  
Minho noted that observation for further reference.  
  
He only hoped, that the thing was resilient because if he brought it home with only one damaged item within, Seungmin would surely murder someone.  
  
And Minho had the bad feeling that that someone would be him.  
  
In that moment the short boy's rough voice reached his ears.  
“They are right behind us, we have to run faster!”  
  
A grim satisfaction started to spread within Minho‘s guts. He wasn't one to enjoy the misfortune of others but in his inner wolf's eyes, these boys were guilty of endangering the survival of his pack.  
  
Which made them his enemies and therefore deserving of the fear he caused them by chasing them like a predator their pray.  
  
What Minho hadn't seen coming, however, was the fact that the intruders actually did accelerate their tempo even more.  
  
It wasn't much and the alpha could smell their exhaustion in the air like the heavy scent of the earth after rainfall, but it did increase the distance between them and him slightly more.  
  
Begrudgingly, Minho had to admit that these three boys he wasn't very fond of at the moment - to put it simply - probably would have been able to outrun him and the two alphas next to him.  
  
At least, if it had been all about speed.  
  
But the point of this whole race was that not everything was about speed.  
  
A malicious grin plastered itself on Minhos' face.  
  
Trees were mere shadows flying past them due to their pace and the gray light of dawn still didn't reach beneath the leaf-canopy above their heads, leaving them within a dim twilight.  
  
But the alpha had long realized where the three strangers were heading.  
  
And they wouldn't get very far!  
__________

The moment Jisung saw Hyunjins' slim form flash up between the dark trunks of the forest, his chest filled with relief, seemingly automatically being able to take in more oxygen and making it easier for him to breathe.  
  
He sprinted, until he was at the same level as his two pack-mates, inhaling their familiar scent that slowly dispelled the leftovers of his fear from before.  
  
Purposefully Jisung stared straight ahead, avoiding Changbin's sharp stare that bored into him from the left and seemed to be heating up the side of his face.  
  
“Okay, on a scala from one to ten...”, Jisung finally heaved out between several pants, unable to endure the older's silent accusation any longer.  
“How badly do you want to kill me right now?”  
  
Changbin snorted, facing the front again.  
  
“I'm hovering somewhere in the high thirties!”, he admitted with a deadly growl.  
“Just for you using your scent that much despite knowing how dangerous that could get, if they really decide to track us down.”  
  
The short omega needed a few moments to catch enough breath again to continue his speech.  
  
“But there's no satisfaction on my part if I die along with you so let's postpone your execution for the time.”  
  
„How generous of you!”, Jisung mumbled, but it didn't reach Changbin‘s ears.  
  
Hyunjin however, examined him out of the corner of his eyes.  
  
“You stink of a foreign alpha!”, he then stated in a matter-of-fact-voice, worry only evident within his dark pupils.  
  
Uncomfortably, Jisung fixed his gaze on the ground while running.  
  
“A short run-in I had with one of our dear followers.”, he explained quickly.  
„We'll talk about it later!”  
  
Hyungin's gaze lingered a little longer on his frail from before the taller nodded.  
They had other priorities right now.  
  
Saving breath for example.  
  
And getting away from the raging alphas that crashed through the bushes not far behind them.  
  
That, too.  
  
Changbin was the first one to dare to take a look back.  
  
Jisung heard him cursing when his foot hit something with a hard thud, making the omega loose his balance and drawing a shocked gasp out of the youngest.  
To their luck, Changbin was able to get up just as fast as he went down, but now looking even more mortified than before.  
  
“They are right behind us, we have to run faster!”, he informed his friends between heavy breaths.  
  
Jisung's stomach started churning in concern.  
Not just because of their situation but also because of Changbin.  
The older had always been more focused on his strength than his stamina and right now that fact was showing as the short omega was wheezing in his fight for air.  
  
The alphas in their backs had probably heard the oldest's words as well but Jisung figured that it didn't matter anymore.  
  
Either they made it, or they would die.  
  
At least that was what he expected would happen to them if they would get caught.  
  
He had picked the northern pack to steal from, not only because of the medication but also because they had seemed not as violent as other local packs, but seeing as their predators looked murderous, Jisung might have to overthink his thesis.  
  
He activated all power left within him to quicken his pace even more.  
Next to him, he could feel Changbin do the same even though the older looked ready to collapse any minute.  
Hyunjin was already running ahead of them, his long legs making it easier for him to take bigger steps.  
  
“Just a little further!”, Jisung heard the tall alpha yell somewhere from the front.  
  
His own lungs felt close to bursting and he wanted nothing more than to be able to lie down and sleep for eternity, but he knew he couldn't give up now.  
  
They had to pull through!  
  


In that moment, the trees cleared up and they broke through the bushes that bordered the glade in front of the cliff.  
  
Sharp twigs scrapped along Jisung's neck and face, leaving behind painful scratches and pulling out strands of his hair in the process but the omega barely registered them.  
  
Because in that exact moment, Hyunjin let out a desperate howl, sending a shudder down Jisung's spine because of how hopeless it sounded.  
  
Not a second later, the boy was able to see the reason of his friends outbreak.  
  
At the top of the cliff that used to be their escape-route, a makeshift-barrier, made from wood and clutter, had been build additionally to the fence that had already been there in the first place, heightening the cliff for another good ten feet and making it impossible to jump over it.  
  
Hyunjin was the first one to come to a skidding halt right in front of the scarp, Changbin and Jisung following shortly after.  
Their heads whipped from one side to the other, frantically trying to find another way out of their miserable situation, but there was none.  
  
Heavy breathing filled the air and Jisung felt about to pass out because of his temporary lack of oxygen but he forced himself to stay conscious as he turned his back towards the stony wall and faced their three predators that came to a halt just a few meters away from them in that very second.  
  
“Crap!”, Changbin growled to Jisung's right, his hands helplessly turning into fists, chest quivering just as much as the young omega's own.  
  
They were trapped!  
  
And Jisung feared for their lives.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update weekly on Mondays, two chapters each time. After that I'll post another work, solely filled with cut-out-Scenes and Special-chapters about this book. Within those chapters, i will also Focus a lot more on the relationships between the members, as well as their Background stories. Have fun reading!

Hiding his nervousness as well as he could, Changbin subtly ushered closer to his two friends, who stood on both of his sides, all of them grimly facing their trackers.  
They still kept their save distance of about three meters, only examining them for now.  
  
Changbin would have liked to know what they were thinking.  
  
Would they attack? Were they out to kill? Or would they try to beat them up as a warning?  


The omegas nerves were stretched to their breaking point and he had no idea how to react.  
  
Or what to tell his pack mates of how to react.  
  
Knowing Jisung he had to remain calm to keep the younger from starting the fight from their side.  
  
He felt cornered, quite literally, and that was one of the situations his inner wolf couldn't deal with very well. 

“Alright, what is our exit strategy?”, Changbin whispered as silently as possible in the attempt to distract his friends a little from their enemies.  
  
And maybe himself as well. 

“Our what?”, came Jisung's prompt reply, much less quiet than the oldest would have liked.  
  
Hyunjin on his right face-palmed.

“Oh my god, we're all going to die!”, he mumbled, resignation evident in his voice.  
  
Changbin really wanted to protest but unfortunately he had no idea whether the younger was wrong or not. 

When the tallest of the three alphas made a step forward, he tensed up, ready to defend himself and his friends if needed.  
  
They weren't particularly bad at fighting since Chan trained with them as often as possible but violence was never something to look forward to in a world without medical care.  
Therefore, Changbin would rather not have to box his way out of this situation. 

Luckily, the alpha opposite him didn't seem to have the intention of attacking them just yet as his posture remained calm and neutral, his expression serious but not aggressive.  
  
Even though his appearance was somewhat intimidating with his dark bangs partly falling into his eyes and the only color his clothes were sporting besides black being the blood-red lettering on his jacket, Changbin assessed him as someone responsible and caring.  
  
His scent said so at least, for it was much less unsettling than Changbin was used to from other alphas, apart from Hyunjin. 

“This is the second time, we've detected you within our home.”, the alpha stated as a matter of fact.  
  
Changbin recognizing his voice as the one of the Northern pack's leader.  
  
“And to top your intrusion off, you also stole from us again.” 

Unsure of what to say, Changbin remained silent in the face of this accusation.  
  
What could he possibly have answered anyways.  
  
The three alphas were in the right.  
  
He and his friends had mistreated them without them initiating anything,  
  
Changbin had no right to defend himself. 

Because technically, the others were the ones defending.  
  
And Changbin and his friends were the attackers. 

Once the alpha to the leader's right realized that Changbin wouldn't say anything, his patience seemed to run out.  
  
With one quick step he was on the same level as his friend, his expression furious.  
He was wearing simple dark-colored clothes, his hair matching with a deep brown, but his aura was anything but casual. 

“They stole from us! We should just get it back and go home! They are only a waste of time!”, he growled, fixating Changbin with a sharp stare.  
  
The omega planned on ignoring the other males words, only listening to the seemingly more reasonable leader, when suddenly Jisung stepped forward.  
His expression was filled with rage. 

“Oh yeah?”, he asked, anger erupting within his scent.  
“Well, why don't you try to get your stuff back? I'd be happy to kick your sorry ass aga...” 

At this point, Changbin had finally reacted and pressed his hand to the younger omegas' mouth, muffling his offensive speech and dragging him back to his spot behind his own body. 

“Shut the fuck up, you idiot, we're in the wrong here!”, he hissed, hoping none of their opponents would be able to hear them. 

The alpha, Jisung had yelled at, snorted.  
  
“Oh please, you just surprised me the first time, is all.”  
  
He grinned evilly.  
  
“But that would never work a second time!”  
  
Jisung aggressively ripped his arms away from Changbin, just to directly look at him, a murderous light shining within his brown eyes. 

“Can I kill him?”, he questioned, his hands forming a praying gesture.  
  
Changbin didn't even spare him a glance while he answered.  
  
“No!” 

A pout formed itself on the younger's lips.  
  
“Just a little bit?”, he begged with a small voice that normally got him everything from Changbin.  
  
Except for the permission to jump head first into a fist fight with three angry alphas. 

“Jisung, I don't think, now is the time!”, Hyunjin interrupted carefully, his eyes never leaving the alphas opposite them.  
  
Changbin realized, that the tall boy probably felt way more threatened than he and Jisung did.  
  
Alphas didn’t cope well with another as long as they weren't familiar with each other yet, so Hyunjin was probably trying his best not to rile their enemies' inner wolves up even more. 

Fortunately, his words seemed to reach Jisung, since the boy closed his mouth and stepped back to return to his previous position.  
Not without throwing the annoying alpha one more venomous look though. 

Changbin sighed in relief, before he reluctantly set his gaze on the leader who had only observed the whole scene without batting an eyelash.  
  
Once more, Changbin inhaled deeply, before beginning to speak, careful not to say anything that might offend the alpha. 

“We don't mean to pick a fight with you.”, he started off, words dripping from his lips like raindrops, soft and fluidly.  
“We were just extremely hungry and we can‘t hunt anywhere around here without fearing for our lives. So we pushed our luck by coming back here since your pack didn't seem to be malnourished in the least.” 

Changbin intentionally praised the other pack and played out the card of being vulnerable.  
  
It was risky, but alphas had the instinct to protect.  
It probably would have worked better on an omega, but Changbin took what he could get. Maybe, like this, they could talk their way out of this. 

The leader looked ready to accept Changbin's apology, and the omega was already starting to congratulate himself for his amazing speech, when the more aggressive alpha, that Changbin now recognized at that Minho-guy, who had been able to identify Jisung, decided to rain on his parade. 

“It wasn't just food that you stole!”, he snarled.  
“You also took one of our first-aid-kits. And that's not something I will let you get away with.” 

Changbin clenched his jaw so tightly that his head started to ache.  
  
Judging from the surprised faces of the leader and the alpha on the right, who hadn't said anything yet, only the boy named Minho had found out about the hard square-shaped box within Changbin's backpack that dug into the sensitive spot between his shoulder blades. 

“That changes the situation!”, the leader backtracked, his voice now sharper.  
“I will need you to give that back. It's a possession we worked very hard for and I can't have you endangering my pack's future by having it. We might need it sooner or later.” 

Changbin understood the alpha.  
His words were reasonable and logical, making it impossible for the omega to hate the guy who was only protecting his family.  
  
But Changbin had his own pack to protect.  
Right when he wanted to reply, Hyunjin's breath grazed his ear. 

“I think it's time to notify Chan-hyung.”, he whispered, his voice grim but determined. 

Frantically, Changbin shook his head.  
  
“You know he'll come here. We can't have that happening with his current condition!”, he objected, gaze still lingering on their opponents. 

“I don't think, we have that much of a choice.”, Hyunjin muttered bitterly.  
“He'll come here sooner or later anyways. Maybe its best like this.” 

Begrudgingly, Changbin complied to the younger's request.  
He knew, the alpha was right.  
  
If they weren't back by morning, Chan would come looking for them anyways.  
  
“Alright, notify him.”  
  
His expression became grave.  
  
“Let's just hope, none of us dies tonight!”  
__________

Chan was laying on the old couch within their little cabin, legs propped up over one of the armrests, while he tried to study some old maps he had found recently during one of his strolls around the local packs' territories.  
  
The edges were tattered and the content outdated by almost 80 years but Chan hoped to find a place, he could lead his pack to.  
  
Somewhere safer than here.  
  
Sure, Jaebum had allowed him to stay on his territory for now, but after the incident yesterday, Chan wanted to run as far away as possible.  
  
He couldn't risk any of his friends getting hurt.

The dim light that fell through a hole in the roof, indicating the upcoming dawn, didn't make the task of trying to make out the maps routes any easier, and only a moment later, Chan let out a heavy sigh as he put the pieces of paper down. 

He felt restless and the pain radiating from his entire right body-half edged him even more.  
  
Of course, he knew that he had to rest, to let his wounds heal and he was also aware of the fact that Jisung would murder him, if he found Chan in any kind of standing position, when he came back.  
  
But knowing that his three friend's were out there, risking their lives to get them food, while Chan was uselessly laying around, was something that didn't cope well with his conscience.

He was about to close his eyes to try and sleep a little, in the hopes of speeding up his healing process like that, when suddenly a loud beeping noise erupted from his pocket, startling him and almost making him fall off the squeaky couch.  
  
His flinch sent another hot wave of pain through his body, but Chan ignored it, his concentration set on something entirely different as he reached into his pocket and fished out the ringing device.  
  
His communicator. 

His pack had two of them, converted walkie-talkies Changbin and him had found within an abandoned police-station.  
They had to make a few changes and it was only a matter of time, until the communicators would run out of battery, but until now, they were working just fine, helping them to reach out for each other's help if really needed.  
Danger therefore was the only reason as of why they were allowed to use them. 

Which was exactly why Chan immediately sat up upon the devices blaring alarm.  
  
His friends needed him!  
  
With no further ado, Chan heaved himself off the couch, immediately groaning in pain, when he was reminded of his injury. 

“This will end badly!”, He murmured through clenched teeth while he rose to his feet, staggering slightly because of the numbing pain that coursed through his torso and the lower side of his stomach. 

With grim determination he grabbed the bottle of pills that was stored away in the corner of the old shelf, which was leaning against one of the cabins' wooden walls, before he poured all the pills left within into his hand.  
  
Five.  
  
He hoped, it would be enough to get him to reach and protect his friends. 

Not hesitating, he chugged all of them down in one go, almost choking in the process, but there was no time left to search for water.  
  
Silently praying that the painkillers, Hyunjin had found one month prior, would do their job, Chan stepped out from the small cabin they had called their home for the past weeks.  
  
Now, it looked rather hostile and abandoned. 

His heart clenched with fear as he inhaled deeply to detect their scents.  
  
Hopefully, it wasn't already too late, when he would arrive. 

This thought in mind, Chan ignored the pain of his wounds before starting to run north. 

Every step sent waves with varying degrees of agony through his lower upper body, and he could already feel Jisung's hard work go to waste as his injuries reopened but there was no time for him to sit down and cry about it.  
  
Tears had never helped anyone.  
Not within this cruel world.  
  
He could worry about his own well-being after making sure, his friends were save.  
__________

Minho wasn't sure, why, but he knew he was being unnecessarily irritated at the moment.  
  
Normally, he was able to control his inner wolf much better, but right now didn't seem to fall under 'normally'. 

True, he loved messing with other people and watch the annoyance on their faces grow with every word that left his own mouth.  
It was his way of releasing built-up stress.  
  
But right now, even after verbally fighting with one of the intruders, his chest still burned hot, filled with a raging fire.  
  
And Minho was starting to get real tired of controlling the flames.

To distract himself, he took his time to examine the three boys in front of them, finally taking a closer look. 

The short buff-looking guy in the front appeared to be their leader, as he was the one speaking all the time and hindering his pack mates from saying things or moving from their spots.  
  
Just like everyone else, he was wearing simple black clothes, a sweater and jeans, and on his head sat a beanie, covering his hair, save for a few strands that hung into his forehead.  
  
How this hat had managed to stay in its place during the whole race, Minho had no idea.

The boy's gaze was sharp and vigilant, never once leaving his opponents unobserved.  
  
Minho hated to admit it, but he wouldn't want to pick a fight with this omega.  
  
Even through his sweater, the outlines of his broad shoulders and strong arms were visible and although his scent was calm and sweet as natural for omegas, Minho could smell the warning within.  
  
This boy wouldn't hesitate to defend his two friends with everything he had. 

To Minho‘s surprise, both omegas of the three boys were wearing tight silver necklaces.  
  
Jewelry was not something commonly seen around here, since it wasn't only not very practical, but also almost impossible to find or get.

The nosy part of Minho really wanted to know how these two omegas had been able to get their hands on two identical looking necklaces of the kind, especially, since Soeul, the next inhabited city, where there at least was a chance of finding such jewelry, was about a month away worth of traveling, but he ignored it.  
It simply was none of his business.

His eyes shifted to the taller of the three boys, who hadn't said much as of yet.  
  
At the moment, the brown haired boy was leaning over to his leader's side, whispering something into his ear, something so quiet that not even Minho was able to make out the words being said.  
  
First, he thought that the boy's voice was simply less loud but the scrutinizing look the foreign alpha threw in his direction, told otherwise.  
  
The boy knew about his enhanced hearing and Minho was sure that the stranger, too, had some sort of enhanced sense, to be able to find out about his own.

Other than his unusually pretty face, the tall boy was wearing a long shirt with some white lettering on the front that he seemingly had tried to cover up with dirt or some gray color - probably to make it stand out less.   
A dark headband kept the boys bangs from falling into his black eyes.  
  
Although his scent unmistakably told Minho of his second gender, the older alpha couldn't find any hostility within him towards the handsome boy.  
  
He looked insecure and uneasy, probably nervous in the face of three other alphas, and Minho somehow felt sympathy start to rise within his chest. 

Then, his gaze wandered over to the last of the three and his newly found compassion vanished into thin air, as his eyes set themselves on the young omega he had run into before.  
  
The boy looked fragile and helpless on the first glance, but the bruise forming on Minho's lower stomach reminded him of this fallacy. 

The omega knew very well how to protect himself. 

His sweet scent enveloped Minho in a sticky way, somehow paralyzing him from moving properly and when the boy's squinted eyes met his, the alpha immediately was hit by a new wave of rage boiling up within him.  
  
Something about this boy unsettled and irritated him, and he wasn't fond of that uncontrollable feeling at all.

Minho's anger demanded a ventile, so he once again raised his voice to speak, snarling the words out to prevent himself from yelling. 

“Haven't you heard? We want our stuff back!” 

The buff omega tensed up upon his request but his expression remained unbothered. 

“I'm really sorry for stealing the kit, but we really need it. Is there nothing we could give you instead?” 

His voice sounded calm and collected, despite the current situation, and respect sparked within Minho.  
  
He could acknowledge strength, regardless of the first and second gender of a person, and in his eyes, this omega was strong, inside and out.  
  
But he had his own pack to worry about. 

“What could you possibly offer us that is worth more than our health?”, he snorted.   
His hands buried themselves within his pockets to hide his clenched fists.  
  
At least, Wooin had stepped aside by now and left it to Minho to hold the conversation, probably in the knowledge that the younger alpha needed to let off some steam.

“I admit, it's a little unfortunate to negotiate over, since medication and stuff is very valuable, but maybe we can bring you food for quite some time?”, the short boy offered, his eyes switching between Woojin and Minho. 

The latter let out an unbelieving laugh. 

“You can't even feed yourselves properly!” 

Out of the corner of his eyes, the alpha could distinguish the younger omega trying to take a step forward, ready to throw himself into the verbal battle, but the older one reached out his hand, holding him back by his chest before picking up the word himself.

“Don't misunderstand!”, he warned Minho.  
“We are very capable of hunting our own food. We just don't have a save place to make a fire at, so it wouldn't do us much good.” 

That information surprised Minho.  
What kind of place were these three boys living in if they couldn't even safely cook their food? Was it just a lie? A bluff to get away? 

One proper look at their bodies, however, opened his eyes to the truth.  
  
Now he saw how malnourished they really were, how protruding their cheekbones and how pale their skin.  
  
The three boys had tricked them all by appearing strong and determined, yet Minho could see the dull exhaustion within their serious eyes and the worried creases within their brows.  
  
These intruders were only trying to survive, he could see that, and a part of him wanted to invite them all home to eat.  
  
But Minho couldn't let that happen.  
He didn't know them. For all he knew, they could try to attack them as soon as they were inside the apartment-tower.  
The protective side of his inner wolf was stronger than a little bit of sympathy.

A tiny voice in the back of his head started to whisper, reminding him how it would be stupid of them to fight three against five and how they weren't a threat but Minho ignored it.  
  
Instead he shook his head. 

“We don't care about whatever you could give us.”, he simply stated, gaze once again set on the omega in the front.  
“We just want the first-aid-kit back, then you can leave.” 

He intentionally ignored the food, they had taken, too.  
The boys needed it more than he and his pack did. 

But instead of accepting his offer, the buff-looking boy pressed his lips together unwillingly. 

“Please let us take at least some band-aids and stuff.”, he pleaded, his voice still calm but with a desperate edge to it. 

Minho crossed his arms.  
  
“Why?”, he demanded to know.  
“You don't need it anyways! Find your own.” 

From his point of view, his words were reasonable, but apparently, he had hit a nerve because not even a second later, the younger omega pushed his way to the front, a raging fire burning within his brown eyes.  
Raising his arm, he pointed at Minho, his scent now even heavier than before. 

“You don't know shit about us!”, he growled, surprising the alpha by how pained his voice sounded.  
“So don't try to tell us whether we need these supplies or not!” 

For a few seconds, Minho stood frozen, too dumbfounded by his opponents outbreak to give a smart comeback while he and the omega were still staring each other down.  
  
But in that moment, the short leader grabbed his younger friend by the collar and dragged him backwards, breaking the spell in the process. 

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?”, Minho could hear him whisper-yell at the vivacious boy who lowered his head in submission, not even trying to defend himself.  
  
The older omega faced Minho again, apologetically bowing his head before him. 

“I am sorry for my friends outbreak, but we just want some band-aids.”, he once again explained.  
“It would help us a great deal.” 

“Last time I checked, none of you smelled hurt!”, Minho answered, regaining his posture.  
  
“Or did I miss that stubbed toe of yours?”, he asked with mock sympathy, referring to the older omega's fall from during their race.  
  
He knew that he was behaving like an asshole right now, but somehow, the presence of the younger boy on the right kept riling his inner wolf up and made it had for him to contain himself. 

Said omega furiously turned towards his leader. 

“Are you absolutely sure, I can't punch him in the face?”, he asked.   
This time he didn’t even try to talk quietly anymore.  
  
Minho could almost see the effort the short boy made to not roll his eyes.  
  
He grinned inwardly.   
So he wasn’t the only one annoyed by the guy!

“Jisung, you will not break the nose of that alpha on his territory, that we intruded beforehand, while we are the ones in the wrong, or so help me, I will sacrifice you to them in order to keep this first-aid kit!”, the leader hissed, his words probably only audible for Minho's sharp ears and of course, the boys own pack mates. 

A soft giggle made the alpha look towards the tall boy, that had remained silent until now. 

“I'm pretty sure, they'd rather take their kit than spent time with Sungie!”, he murmured upon the older omega's words.  
  
Their interactions seemed intimate and personal and somehow, Minho was invaded by the desire to be a part of it.  
  
He himself wasn't entirely sure, why. 

Irritated by his confusing emotions, he settled for verbally attacking his opponents again, just to let out this irrational anger within his chest. 

“We don't have time all day!”, he growled.  
“Let's finally settle this!”  
__________

Woojin wasn't exactly sure, why Minho was so riled up, but he chose to ignore it.  
  
His friend had always been more hot-headed than everyone else from their pack and the older alpha deemed it best to, quite literally, just let Minho talk this out with their opponents. 

Especially the youngest looking boy on the right seemed to have become the target of Minho's wrath, but from what Woojin had observed, the delicate omega knew how to handle himself. 

Of course, Woojin couldn't accept them stealing from their rarest and most valuable supplies, but a part of him had started to think about the short omega's words. 

If they needed band-aids that desperately, they had to be hiding something.  
  
Or rather, someone. 

And what kind of person would he be, if he denied these three boys some simple bandages just to prove a point, when they really seemed to need it.  
He might have been self-centered in order to survive, but he wasn't a monster.

Woojin was about to interrupt Minho's verbal quarrel with the intruders to ask them about possible injured members of their pack, when suddenly, Jeongin on his left side raised his head and gave a warning growl.  
The sound made Minho and Woojin simultaneously whip their heads around to find out what had alarmed the young alpha. 

The dark haired boy stood frozen, gaze staring into nothing while he was seemingly listening to something only he could hear.  
But only seconds later, Woojin registered it as well. 

The distant sound of rushing steps and cracking branches under the soles of combat boots.

“The fuck is that?”, he heard Minho mumble next to him but he was in no position to answer.  
  
Instead, to his surprise, Woojin heard the short omega opposite them reply. 

“We allowed ourselves to invite our leader to this meeting.”  
  
The omegas voice was emotionless and calm, his eyes boring themselves into Woojin's own ones and the alpha felt a shiver run down his spine.  
  
So there was another member! 

But before he himself could counter anything, the younger omega butted into the stare-off of the two leaders, seemingly not having been informed about the fact of their friends arrival either. 

“You fucking what?”, he screeched, voice laced with panic.  
“Are you crazy? This could kill him!” 

“Well, I'm about to fucking kill you!”, Minho barked before the short boy could justify himself, his finger pointing at the younger omega.  
“You dared to call for back-up?” 

“Well, I'd like to survive!”, the boy snapped back, apparently rather backing up his friends idea than to agree with the loathed alpha. 

Woojin was about to step in between the fighting boys when suddenly, a loud bang sounded from above their heads.   
It echoed throughout the glade and demanded everyone to look up, just in time to see a black silhouette appear on top of the makeshift barrier that Woojin, Felix and Minho had build there shortly after the first attack of the three intruders they were currently dealing with again. 

Time seemed to slow down as with one swift movement, the person jumped off the cliff to crash down between the, one minute ago, arguing boys and separating them in the process, feet colliding with the ground with a heavy thud.  
  
Miraculously the person didn't seem to have injured himself from the 15-feet-fall as he rose from his crouched landing position.   
Slowly, he lifted his lowered head to look around.  
  
When his sharp gaze hit Minho, Woojin could feel the alpha next to him flinch.  
Then, the person growled lowly. 

“No one is going to kill anyone!”

His words seemed to break the paralysis that had apparently taken a hold of everyone. 

Minho staggered a few steps back, eyes roaming the stranger uneasily, while the younger omega of the other pack reached out to touch the new boys shoulder with a concerned face. 

“Channie-hyung, you shouldn't be here!”, Woojin could hear him whisper. 

“Neither should you.”, the stranger answered, but this time his rough voice was warm and filled with affection. 

Now, Woojin had the opportunity to examine the new boy properly.  
  
Other than the ones of his pack mates, the shirt of the boy was dark blue with once golden buttons on his left shoulder.   
Parts of the shirt appeared even darker where water or something similar had drenched the fabric, probably during his run here, as Woojin could also see scratches from twigs and branch-wood on his hands and face. 

Other than the color of his shirt, the boy stood out thanks to two further features.  
  
One being the uncommon looking collar around his neck that consisted out of two thin chains, the upper one simply golden while the second one held small black stones for further decoration.  
  
The other being his blonde, no, almost white, curly hair, that hung messily into his forehead. 

Other hair colors than black and brown weren't really common, especially around this part of the planet.  
Felix was an exception as his grandparents originated from another city from far away, brought here during the war as part of a rescue mission when their continent got bombarded.  
  
Was this guy a foreigner as well?  
  
Woojin wasn't sure.   
All he had ever learned about the other continents and nationalities had been during his short time at one of the schools in Seoul, where he had spent the first years of his childhood.  
  
Thanks to the ability to read, that he gained there, he had been able to study a little on his own, searching through old books to find out about how the world had been before the war, but that was as far as his knowledge went.  
Therefore, he had no idea, what kind of roots the stranger could have.

All in all, the white hair, combined with his pale skin bestowed the boy with a surreal aura.   
Additionally, his dark eyes looked like two black holes that could suck Woojin in, if he were careless enough to stare at them for too long. 

The subject of Woojin's thoughts himself interrupted his pondering with stepping forward, automatically demanding the attention of everyone present.  
  
_'No doubt!'_ , Woojin thought.  
_'This guy is a born leader.'_

“My apologies.”, the boy began, voice low and calm.  
“But I'd like to understand this situation a bit better. What business does my pack have with you?” 

His words were directed at Woojin and suddenly, the older alpha realized, what kind of situation they were in.  
Their enemy was now outnumbering them, and looking at the leaders built form, Woojin felt as if danger was slowly creeping up on him, ready to jump him any second. 

With his wolf falling into some kind of defensive mode, he let out a low growl, signing for his two friends to come closer.  
  
He didn't want Jeongin to have to deal with his first battle, but if this boy in front of him would call for an attack, Woojin wasn't sure if they had any other chance but to fight. 

Surprisingly, the other pack's leader immediately raised his hands in a reassuring manner, as soon as he saw Woojin‘s reaction 

“We don't want to fight!”, he hurried to speak in a soothing tone.  
“I just want to bring my pack-mates home with me.”  
  
He bowed his head politely.  
  
“Please let us go and this will be the last you'll see of us.” 

The strangers words sounded truthful and even though Woojin would have liked to get their first-aid-kit back, he really wasn't looking forward to having to use the band-aids inside it afterwards, so he was grateful for the opportunity of a possible peaceful parting of ways.  
  
But just as he was about to agree with the other boys' request, Minho let out a warning hiss, startling Woojin in the process. 

“Don't trust him, Woo!”, he glowered.  
  
His voice was laced with fear and caution, something extremely unusual for the hot-headed alpha.  
  
“He smells like blood!”  
__________

Minho was one step away from ripping the other boy's head off.  
  
His patience seemed to be non-existent whenever the younger omega opened his mouth to speak and now, that the alpha could hear the closing in of a possibly furious pack-leader, ready to defend his brothers and therefore endangering Minho's own friends, the alpha felt fear-driven fury flood his veins. 

Growling he butted into the conversation between the two foreign omegas, who appeared to have a difference of opinions. 

“Well, I'm about to fucking kill you!”, he snarled.  
“You dared to call for back-up?” 

The younger one of the boys threw him a venomous look.  
  
“Well, I'd like to survive!”, he snapped and Minho had to admit that he had a point.  
  
But reason was not something he wanted to deal with right now.  
He was simply and utterly pissed.

In that moment, however, a loud sound could be heard, followed by a heavy thud, when a black shadow flew past Minho's widened eyes and crashed down between him and the three intruders. 

For a few seconds that appeared endless to the alpha, he couldn't move a muscle, frozen to the spot, when dark menacing eyes bored themselves into his own, a silent warning radiating off of them. 

_Don't you dare!_

“No one is going to kill anyone!”, the stranger glowered, seemingly breaking the spell he had paralyzed Minho with, because suddenly, the alpha lost his balance, having to stumble a few steps backwards before he was able to regain it. 

The boy, that had landed in front of Minho, was strange to look at with his pale, disheveled appearance and his blond hair, but what unnerved Minho even more, was the scent that hit his nose.  
  
It was intense, laced with the odor of strength and determination and warned Minho from coming too close.  
Yet at the same time it wasn't as sharp and aggressive as the smell of most alphas usually was.  
  
Despite the threat that was radiating from the stranger's body, Minho's inner wolf didn't feel riled up.  
  
On the contrary, he felt soothed and more relaxed than he did before the boy's arrival, finally rid of the annoying irritation that had haunted him before. 

This guy was on a whole other level than all of them and Minho felt his own wolf lower his head in submission in the face of the pack-leader's power. 

But before his thoughts could wander even further, another scent, faint as if the stranger was trying to cover it up, met his nostrils.  
  
A scent that Minho had smelled before but hated to the core because it was linked with the bitter feeling of loss. 

Blood!  
The new alpha stank of human blood, even though the smell was probably only detectable for Minho's sharp nose, and his chest filled with fear.  
  
What for the love of god was wrong with this pack? Would they attack them? Trying to kill them and claim their territory? 

His spinning thoughts almost made him miss the conversation, that had started between Woojin and the stranger, but he forced himself to concentrate.  
Panicking would neither help him, nor his friends. 

“Please let us go and this will be the last you'll see of us.”, the other leader finished his proposal just when Minho started to listen. 

The words sounded truthful and Minho knew, that Woojin wanted to accept the blond‘s offer, even though that would mean, that they would loose one of their first-aid-kits.  
  
His leader was trying to go for the safest option they could get, especially, since Jeongin was with them, and in every other situation, Minho would have let him proceed, even if it would irk him to draw the shorter straw.  
  
But not like this! 

Minho had learned very early to never trust a person whose smell contained the stench of blood and he would stick to that rule for as long as he'd live. 

“Don't trust him, Woo!”, he therefore hissed in his leaders direction.  
“He smells like blood!” 

Within his own ears, Minho could hear the rapid beating of his heart.  
  
He wasn't sure of how the foreign pack-leader would react upon being found out, since he apparently tried to cover that specific smell and Minho was readying himself for everything.  
  
But to his surprise, it wasn't the leader, that responded to his words. 

“Blood?”  
  
The younger omega, that had annoyed Minho before, had stepped forward to stand next to his leader.  
  
His gaze was set on the alpha, yet this time it held no aggression or offense.  
His brown eyes simply looked...scared.  
  
“Did you say he smelled like blood?” 

Dumbfounded, Minho nodded, unsure of what else to reply.  
  
Next to the omega, the leader ushered his packmate to return to his spot, silently whispering to the younger boy in the apparent attempt to reassure him.  
  
The omega complied but Minho could see the unhappy look on his face. One glance towards the other two intruders that stood behind their leader showed the alpha similar sights.  
  
All of their faces held something that Minho would read as concern and fear, and once again, he asked himself, what was going on. 

But since he had been the one to interrupt the discussion between Woojin and the stranger, Minho deemed himself obliged to pick up the word.  
  
Inhaling he stepped forward to stand out more. 

“No offense, but your pack-mates have stolen supplies from us twice already, so we are not really sure if we can trust you when you tell us that this will be the last time we'll see you.” 

The foreign leader nodded in understanding.  
  
“I get why you are suspicious, but I promise you, we won't come back again.”   
  
He hesitated for a second, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.  
  
Minho believed to see him flinch in the process, but he wasn't sure if that hadn't just been his own I magination. 

Then the leader added: “We were about to leave this area anyways. We meant to go yesterday, but a minor incident postponed our departure.” 

There was something in the blond's eyes, Minho couldn't quite   
A certain kind of edge that made him seem a little impatient.  
  
But nonetheless, the leader sounded reasonable and calm and Minho decided to push his luck.  
  
After all, he had given Seungmin a promise.

“There's one more thing!”, he cautiously began, his eyes roaming his opponent's face on the search for any kind of signal that the other was getting irritated.   
But nothing happened, so Minho dared to continue. 

“If it were just food that they stole, we would have been able to ignore it, but they stole a first-aid-kit that was very valuable to us.” 

Upon his words, the alpha could see a surprised look overtake the blond boy's expression.  
Then he turned towards the short omega, Minho had thought of as the leader before. 

“Is that true?”, the foreign alpha mumbled towards his friend, quiet enough that Woojin and Jeongin, who stood close to each other on the sidelines, probably weren't able to hear it. 

The short boy tensed up upon his leader's words, pressing his lips together and averting his gaze, which, apparently, was enough for the other to understand the situation. 

“You have to give it back!”, the blond ordered, his voice still only audible for Minho's ears - besides the boys' own friends of course.  
  
The younger omega tried to protest, but the leader cut him off.  
  
“Please don't make us fight our way out of this!”, he pleaded, his eyes tiredly staring into his friends'.  
  
Only now, Minho noticed the deep bags under his eyes and how his body apparently hadn't gotten enough food in a while either.  
  
Just like his friends, the leader appeared strong but was actually cachected. 

Just that Minho didn't put it past the weird boy to bash someone's head in nonetheless.

Clearly reluctant, the short omega took off his backpack and pulled out the white kit with the red cross on the lid to hand it to his leader, who took it while throwing his friends a look, probably meant to cheer them up, before he stepped forward towards Minho. 

“Take it and let us leave!”, he requested, handing the square-shaped box to the alpha, who couldn't quite believe in a success that easy. 

But just as he raised his hand to grab it, a shadow seemingly materialized itself between him and the item that was still in the other leaders hands.  
  
A sweet scent surrounded Minho, blocking the stench of blood that had gotten stronger upon the closing in of the blond boy, and before the alpha knew what was happening, he was staring into pleading brown orbs. 

“Please just let us take some band-aids!”, the younger omega begged again, his tone desperate and hopeless. 

“Jisung!”, the voice of the boys leader sounded from behind him, now sharper than before.  
  
The omega turned around, lowering his spread-out arms in the process.  
  
“But...”, he began but was interrupted by Minho, who had regained his posture. 

“Why do you want them so badly?”, he asked.  
  
He was sick of this.  
Nothing made sense with this weird pack and he was starting to get irritated again.  
  
If he would sacrifice some of their valuable supplies and risk getting beaten up by his endearing pack-mate at home, he at least deserved to sleep calmly tonight without any thoughts bugging him.  
  
“What the fuck is going on?” 

By now, the whole conversation was on his shoulders with Woojin just cautiously watching from behind him, while blocking Jeongin with his own body too keep him away from the strange leader's sight, just to make sure that the young alpha would get the opportunity to flee in case any kind of plot twist happened and this conversation would turn into a fight after all.  
  
Although Minho was sure that Jeongin would probably stay nonetheless.

“Sungie, don't!”, the blond boy warned again.   
  
He put his hand on his friend's shoulder and reaching around him, finally putting the first-aid kit back into Minho's hands.  
Its' weight felt like success to the alpha.  
  
“Let's go home!” 

The young omega seemed torn between asking again and following his leader's orders but in the end, he stepped back from in front of Minho and turned away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. 

Wordlessly, Minho handed the kit back to Jeongin.  
  
“Please leave our territory.”, he calmly bid, words once again directed at the other pack's leader.  
  
Said boy nodded in confirmation while gently pushing his pack-mate towards his other two friends, who had observed the whole interaction in a way similar to Woojin and Jeongin.

Minho was about to turn his back to them and head homewards together with his own pack-mates, when suddenly, something red caught his eye.  
  
On the spot, right where the blond boy had stood, the usually green grass was ruddled with some kind of liquid. 

“Is that blood?” 

Minho could have slapped himself for pointing this out, just as they finally were about to leave.  
  
Stupid him and his nosy ass! 

The young omega wheeled around, his eyes catching what Minho was pointing at. Then his gaze fixated itself on his leader, who just warily stared at the red spot. 

“No?”, the blond boy answered but it sounded unsure and insecure, nothing like the tough opponent Minho had feared only seconds before. 

“That is not something you're supposed to answer with another question!”, the younger omega screeched with his eyes slowly widening in terror. 

Confused and a little awkward to have to witness this fight going on right in front of him, Minho kept looking between the two friends.  
  
This was not what he had imagined his day to go like.

“Sungie, calm down, I'm fine!”, the blond alpha reassured.   
  
His voice sounded overly optimistic to Minho's ears, but this time, he kept his mouth shut.  
  
The omega however, raised one eyebrow.  
“Really?”, he asked dryly, crossing his arms.  
”Cause you look like you're about to faint!” 

The leader sighed, closing his eyes shortly before opening them again. 

“Yeah,”, he suddenly admitted with a humorless chuckle that wavered abbot in his throat.  
“You might wanna catch me, actually!” 

“What...?”, the omega asked, just as perplexed as Minho from the sudden plot-twist, but in that moment without further warning, the leader's eyes twisted around, showing only white, before he simply toppled over like a boneless sack of rice, falling right into his friends arms, who grunted under the heavy weight. 

For a short second, no one moved, as if the world had hold its' breath. 

Then the younger omega let out a panicked cry.  
  
“Channie-hyung!” 

He gently lowered his leader to the ground, laying him on his back while supporting his head with one hand.   
His other started frisking the wet spot on the boy's shirt.  
  
When he pulled it back, his palm was covered in crimson red. 

The omega sucked in a fearful gasp, shaking his leader a little, whose face seemed even paler than before.  
  
“Chan, wake the fuck up!”, he cried out.   
  
His yell pulled his two friends out of their trance and made them run over to crouch down next to the blond as well. 

“Chan, you can't give up just yet!”, the dark-haired omega growled, while the young alpha next to him took his leaders hand and squeezed it while helplessly clenching his jaw.

All the time, Minho stood next to them, unable to move or say anything.  
  
Everything seemed to happen too quickly and yet, his spinning head had already put together all the clues he had gotten along the way that led to this situation. 

The determination of the three intruders to keep the first-aid-kit, the younger omega's outbreak, when Minho had said that they didn't need the bandages, the intense smell of blood, that now swept over him once again, this time even heavier, threatening to drown him and mixed with the stressed scents of the leader's friends. 

Of course, how hadn't he thought of it any sooner?  
  
The leader was the one hurt. They had only tried to save him - to survive!

In that moment, the young omega, Minho had quarreled with before, whipped his head up and stared straight into Minho's face, his eyes brimming with tears.  
  
“Please, for the love of the heavens, help us!”, he screamed, his breaking voice laced with despair.  
  
All cockiness had been wiped out from his expression, simply leaving behind a young boy, about to loose his older brother.  
  
“Just give us the fucking bandages!”

Finally, Minho was able to wake himself from his paralysis.  
  
Only half an hour before, he had still hated the younger omega's guts, but seeing him now, broken and scared, the alpha realized how that was in no way something he wanted to witness ever again.  
  
The boy deserved better.  
All of them did.

“Don't be stupid, no band-aids are going to fix a wound that makes him loose that much blood!”, he snarled ehile taking two steps forward and squatting down next to the desperate omega.  
Said boy opened his mouth to snap at him, when Minho interrupted him. 

“We have someone in our pack, that can help him!”, he explained, throwing a glance over his shoulder towards Woojin, who nodded curtly in approval.  
  
They would never deny help to someone in need.  
Especially not eomma Woojin!

Relieved to have his leader's permission, Minho turned back, his eyes again locking with the younger boy's. 

“But,”, he warned. “you'll have to trust us.” 

Upon his words, the older omega growled in dissatisfaction, but the gaze of the young alpha on his right turned sharp with resolve, as he shared a look with the taller boy, who was still cradling the motionless leader's head in his arms.

“We will come with you!”, the alpha answered determinedly, his left hand settling on the short boys shoulder, who grumbled quietly but didn't protest.  
  
“We have nothing left to loose.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way: i am Aware of the fact that certain things within my Story aren't exactly plausible.  
> Also, it is possible to use walkie-talkies as 'communicators', but the Batterie should Long be lost or damaged after 80 years, so ist highly unlikely, that it would work the way it does within my Story, but hey, bear with me please...  
> And last but not least: i know that it usually would take way longer for genetics to evolve into the second genders, but i neglected that in favor of the rest of the storie, since everyone who even clicked on this work, probably knows exactly, what omegaverse is and means...(Although my Version is a lot more harmless, since I'm not a smut-writer).

Pain was the first thing that Chan registered. 

His vision was still pitch-black as if he had been buried alive but the agony was already cursing through his body in dull waves, enabling him to seemingly feel his every atom.  
  
From somewhere, he could hear muffled voices but he couldn't quite understand what they were saying. 

What had happened?  
  
Chan remembered a pack, an aggressive leader...no wait! He was mixing things up.  
  
There had been a meeting with a pack!  
But what had followed afterwards?  
  
His thoughts were spiraling around inside his throbbing head, making it extremely hard for him to organize the chaos.  
  
Then it began dawning on him, as memories started to make their way to the front, filling his mind. 

Right! His friends had called for help! And Chan had run to find them, jumping over that goddamn cliff.  
  
He could still feel the enormous pain that had shot through him at his collision with the ground, landing right in front of another pack.  
Three alphas, if he remembered correctly. 

Chan groaned. When had he fainted? He couldn't recall the rest, only how his vision had started to get blurry and how his last thought had been something along the lines of 'Fuck!'.  
  
Had something bad happened? Were his friends hurt? 

With utmost effort, Chan tried to fight himself back to the surface of his conscience, the faint sounds slowly gaining on amplitude and clearness. Now he could make out Jisung's voice, laced with worry and fear. 

“Watch out! You're gonna hurt him!” 

A deep growl could be heard, then someone grabbed Chan‘s arm tightly and pulled him upwards, his body complying without any strength. 

“He's hurt already, it can't really get any worse!”, a gruff voice answered, and Chan felt panic start to rise within him when he couldn't recognize it at first.  
  
Groaning, he forced his heavy eyelids open, blinking against the sudden brightness that blinded him momentarily. 

“Chan-hyung, you're awake!” 

That was Hyunjin, if Chan was correct, but he couldn't see the boy, as he tried to sharpen his blurry vision to examine his surroundings. 

“What's going on?”, was what Chan meant to ask, but his words got stuck within his dry throat, not passing his chapped lips.  
  
He really shouldn't have swallowed five whole pills without any kind of liquid. 

Luckily, Changbin appeared before him, seemingly understanding his question despite the lack of proper words.

“You're wounds reopened during your run here!”, he explained quietly with his dark eyes sporting a serious expression.  
“You fainted in front of the other pack, probably due to your blood loss and they offered to treat you.” 

Chan wanted to object.  
He had a hard time trusting strangers ever since last year and leading his pack-mates into the arms of a foreign pack which he didn't know what it was capable of, was not something that stood high on the list of things that he wanted to do.  
But he didn't.  
  
First of all because his throat was still not able to produce any sound more complicated than a rasp and secondly, because in that moment, Jisung entered his vision and bored his brown eyes into his own, meanwhile crossing his arms. 

“You know,”, he started with a sarcastic tone, ”a normal person would immediately tell when they are gushing blood, but no, you had to go, bleed all over the place and faint first!”

Chan opened his mouth, ready to start another try in speaking, when their discussion got interrupted by a deep growl. 

“You know, a normal person would save their bleeding friend before starting to scold them, but no, you have to prove your point first!” 

It was the voice that had made Chan panic before for not being able to identify it and now it sounded right next to his left ear.  
  
Inhaling sharply, the blond boy tried to jump sideways to get away from the stranger but he immediately had to realize, that the foreign alpha was the one holding him up, having Chan's left arm draped over his neck to support his weight. 

“Relax and stop squirming!”, the alpha hissed through clenched teeth as he struggled to not let Chan drop to the ground.  
“You're heavy enough as it is!” 

Understanding, that no threat was coming from the stranger, Chan mumbled a faint apology.  
Only now, he realized how his other arm got held, too, and as he turned his head, he looked right into Hyunjin's familiar face. 

“Ready for transport?”, the young alpha asked quietly, his scent calming Chan a little.  
Unable to help himself, he simply nodded.  
  
His limps felt weak and lifeless, as if he was a puppet whose strings had been cut and once again, the pain was starting to get stronger.

“Alright, let's move!”, the stranger on Chan's left ordered.  
“Woojin will lead the way.” 

Confused, the blond searched for the owner of that new name, when suddenly, a strong scent rolled over him, calm and pleasant, yet intense.  
  
He faintly remembered how he had spoken with the alpha it belonged to before while negotiating over the stolen supplies.  
It was the leader of the other pack. 

“Has he regained his consciousness?” 

Upon the leader's voice, Chan forced his drooping eyelids back open.  
In front of him stood the dark-haired alpha from before.  
  
Clenching his teeth, Chan collected all power left within him to balance himself out on his unstable feet.  
Then, to the apparent surprise of everyone around, he rose to his full height and made direct eye-contact with the other leader, who watched him with an unreadable expression.

“I don't know you!”, Chan rasped out, his voice almost failing him again, but he was determined to get his words across.  
“And I don't know your intentions!”  
  
He coughed dryly.  
  
“But if any of you lays even only one finger on one of my friends, I'll take you down with me!” 

His gaze probably held no aggression due to his current semi-death-state, but Chan knew, the leader in front of him would hear the warning within his words. 

Shortly, the both of them only stared at each other, none of them backing down from their silent argument.  
Then, the dark-haired alpha nodded. 

“Duly noted!”, he replied, taking one step back.  
“My name is Woojin, the oldest of the Northern pack and I promise you that no one will harm you or your friends,” 

The alpha hesitated for a second, before adding: “Well except for when Seungmin will treat your wounds. That's on him and therefore out of my control.”  
  
Then he turned around and motioned for everyone to follow him.  
  
“Let's get going!” 

On both of Chan's sides, he could feel his carriers' muscles tense up in the expectation of having to support the blond boys weight.  
  
Groggily he let his head fall forward, concentrating on nothing else but having to take one step after another.  
  
Every movement sending a stinging pain through his right body-half.  
He felt exhausted already but Chan forced himself forward, ignoring everything besides his own beating heart.  
  
He would make sure to keep it that way!  
__________

Minho grunted under the blond boy's weight.  
  
The leader did his best to carry his own body as much as possible but the longer they walked, the more his legs seemed to give out under him. 

The alpha had to admit, that his respect for the strange boy had grown.  
  
First he had tried to hide his weakness to protect his pack-mates and even at his most vulnerable moment, the leader had acted upon his position and made sure to keep his friends save.  
  
And although right now, he was more or less hanging off Minho's shoulder, the alpha couldn't help but admire him for his strength.  
He wasn't sure if he would have been able to hang on for this long. 

The smell of fresh blood still blocked all other scents around him, save for the freshly sweet odor that seemed to be oozing out of the annoying younger omega.  
  
Said boy had refused to leave Minho's side, now and then throwing his leader concerned looks, and irritating the alpha in the process.  
  
He didn't really know, what irked him so much, but his inner wolf was restless, to say the least. 

Nonetheless, Minho kept his mouth shut.  
  
Another fight would help no one and a part of him understood the omega's worry.  
This was not a minor injury, they were talking about after all, judging by the amount of blood the leader had already lost.

Woojin, who was walking in the front, threw them a glance over his shoulder.  
  
“How is he?”, he asked, words directed at Minho.  
  
The alpha was about to reply, when the blond boy next to him raised his head. 

“I'm fine!”, he replied in a slurred tone.  
  
Despite his apparent pain and limp body, his eyes were filled with determination.  
The sight surprised Minho, who had thought, the boy had passed out again by now. 

“My definition of 'fine' differs a little from yours in my opinion, but I'm glad to hear it!”, Woojin deadpanned before stepping aside to reveal the clearing with the apartment-tower, that was now trough the trunks of the trees.  
“We're here!”

Relieved, Minho heaved out a sigh.  
  
They had needed almost double the time it normally took a person to cover the distance between the cliff and their home and the alpha wanted nothing more than to finally load this responsibility on Seungmin's shoulders. 

Fuck this stupid first-aid-kit! It seemingly only brought trouble!

Hurriedly, he and the tall alpha from the other pack carried the lifeless leader over the grass-covered clearing and up the steps that led to the main entrance of the building, with the two omegas following right behind them.  
  
Getting the blond boy up to the second floor was a task on it's own but somehow, accompanied by a lot of groaning on all of their parts, they managed to reach the main hall.

As they stumbled through the door-frame, Minho could hear Seungmin let out a triumphing yell. 

“Told you, they would return as seven!”, he shouted towards Felix, who sat a little further away, next to Jeongin, whom Woojin had sent home early to inform Seungmin of their arrival. 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, you're a genius!”, the orange haired alpha waved his friend off, his gaze curiously wandering over the newcomers. It stopped on Changbin, who had entered the room shortly after Minho and Hyunjin. 

“You're the guy, who thought, jumping out of a window would be a good idea!”, he realized, his finger pointing at the black-haired omega, but his deep voice held no malice.  
  
Nonetheless, Minho could clearly smell, how the short boy wasn't exactly sure of how to react in return. 

Instead, his younger friend's voice filled the room.  
  
“You did what?”  
  
He sounded disbelieving and about to scold his hyung for being careless, but Minho stopped listening at that point, since by now, he and the other alpha had reached the makeshift-bed, someone had put up for the injured leader to lie on.  
Carefully, they lowered the blond boy down on the old sheets, the leader hissing in pain because of the new movement. 

When Minho looked up again, Seungmin was already next to him, crouching down beside the leader with some sort of towel in his hands, that he placed over his lap.  
  
His attentive gaze shifted over the dark spot on the boys shirt, before he locked eyes with the stranger. 

“My name is Seungmin.”, he explained in a calm voice.  
“I studied a lot about medical topics and am therefore the doctor of this little pack.” 

During his introduction, the two foreign omegas, as well as Felix and Jeongin had ended their little conversation and gotten closer, now forming a circle around the injured boy, who had his eyes fixed on Seungmin and was nodding along to the information the omega had just told him. 

“May I ask your name?”, Seungmin questioned, while pushing the sleeves of his gray sweater up to free his hands. 

“Chan! My name is Chan.”, the leader answered, his throat seemingly consisting out of sandpaper with how rough his voice sounded.  
Immediately, Seungmins head shot up. 

“He needs water!”, he ordered, gaze serious.  
“Would someone please get some?” 

Jeongin nodded.  
Crossing the room and grabbing the empty bucket that was laying in the corner next to the main door, he bolted down the stairs until his steps faded away in the distance.

Again, Seungmin focused on his patient.  
  
“I need to take a look at your injury!”, he stated calmly but determined. 

Chan flashed him something that Minho was sure was supposed to be a grin, even though it looked more like a pained grimace.  
  
“Suit yourself!”, he offered with a humorous tone to his voice, but Minho could see him clenching his teeth. 

Carefully, Seungmin grabbed the hem of the boys sweater with both hands before slowly lifting it up, pulling it over the leaders head and leaving his upper body bare. 

A collective gasp could be heard, then Minho saw Felix running out of the room, hand pressed to his mouth.  
  
He understood the younger alpha's reaction, seeing as he himself was shocked by the leader's state. 

The boy‘s complete right body-half was slashed open, red wounds covering his torso, side and lower stomach. Crimson blood was gushing out of the torn skin and especially the cuts further down on his body seemed deep, already dying the sheets beneath him a new color.  
  
How had this guy even managed to destroy himself like that?

Upon hearing a whimper, Minho forced himself to rip his eyes away from the leader's injury to search for the source of the new sound.  
  
His gaze landed on the young omega whom he had fought with before.  
Now, the feisty boy stood frozen, lips pressed together and fists clenched in the face of his own helplessness. 

“It's even worse than it was yesterday!”, he whispered, voice laced with fear. 

Minho somehow felt the urge to hug him, just to make him feel better, but he doubted, that his embrace would have that effect on the boy.  
That way, he almost sighed in relief, when the older omega draped his arm around his friend's shoulder and pulled him closer, probably seeking comfort as well.

The alpha's eyes shifted back to Seungmin, who hadn't said a word yet.  
  
Uneasy because of the omega's silence, Minho felt himself start to grow impatient.  
Apparently, he wasn't the only one, because Woojin cleared his throat.

“Can you fix this?”

Seungmin nodded without hesitation, letting Minho heave out a relieved breath, but when the omega raised his head and his grave expression met Woojin's, Minho felt his chest tighten.  
  
This was not good. 

“I can fix it.”, the younger replied, voice serious.  
“But you're not gonna like the solution.”  
  
He looked back at the blond boy, who remained silent, before adding: “None of you will!”

Confused Minho wanted to ask about the meaning of Seungmin's words, but the younger omega to his right beat him to it. 

“What are you implying?”, he questioned, voice surprisingly stable.  
“You just have to stitch him up, don't you?” 

Regretfully, Seungmin shook his head.  
  
“The lower wound on his side is too deep and uneven, especially after reopening now.”, he declared, eyes once again roaming the leader's sliced skin.  
  
“He will die if I don't stop the bleeding first. Plus, I fear, that he already has a slight inflammation. I will have to disinfect it somehow.” 

A bad presentiment snuck itself into Minho's consciousness. 

“How are you gonna do that?”, he asked, voice hoarse with fear.  
  
Slowly, Seungmin raised his head, locking his eyes with Minho, and in that moment, the alpha knew, his premonition had been correct. 

“With fire.”, the omega answered.  
__________

Absolute silence filled the room. 

Minho felt sick and a part of him wanted to run after Felix and empty his stomach somewhere, along with his mind that now got flooded with memories.  
  
He was the only one within the room who knew exactly how horrible the operation was that Seungmin was about to perform.  
  
Because he himself had gone through it once, the scar on his stomach still reminding him of the agony he had felt that day.  
Nothing he could remember from his entire life, had been as painful as the burning-out of his wound and Minho wished it to no one to having to endure the very same experience.

“Wait, isn't there another way?”, Minho heard the voice of the short omega ask, apparently desperate to save his leader from his upcoming doom but Seungmin shook his head. 

“With proper utensils, yes, quite probably, but we have nothing to properly stitch him up in a way, that the wound wouldn't keep bleeding or to clean it thoroughly.”, he stated as a matter of fact. 

The short boy opposite him looked like he wanted to say something else, but in that moment, the leader piped up from the ground. 

“It's okay, Binnie!”, he reassured the omega, the beginnings of a smile on his tired face.  
“It will help me and afterwards, I'll be fixed up. No need to worry.” 

His tone sounded rather carefree for someone who, quite literally, was about to get _branded_ , but Minho preferred to keep his mouth shut.  
  
No need to rain on the blond boy's parade just yet. 

“Alright, I need the patient next to the fire!”, Seungmin ordered, grabbing the cloth from his lap and gently pressing it against the deepest cut. The leader‘s face contorted in pain upon the contact of his wound with the towel.  
  
“Can you lift your hand to keep the cloth there?”, Seungmin asked with his gaze setting on the injured boy, withdrawing his own fingers when the blond wordlessly pressed the makeshift bandaid down.  
Then the healer rose to his feet to get his tools. 

When he turned around, he almost bumped into the tall alpha of the other pack, that had silently stood behind him all the time.  
  
Startled, Seungmin took one step backwards, almost making Minho laugh out loud because of the surprised look on his face.  
  
A scared Seungmin wasn't something that happened very often. 

“Taller than me!”, the omega mumbled upon examining the boys height.  
“That's a first!” 

Shortly after, he sidestepped and left the befuddled alpha behind, who seemingly couldn't quite grasp what had happened.  
But a second later, the boy regained his posture and went to his leaders side, where he crouched down beside him. 

“Hey, Jinnie!”, the blond boy smiled, lifting his free hand to squeeze the one of the tall alpha.  
  
“Take care of those two idiots over there while I'm being operated at, yeah?”, he mumbled, motioning to the two omegas, who were standing on the sidelines, still cuddling each other while silently talking. 

The alpha snorted weakly.  
  
“Yeah, I know, they only share one braincell whenever they are together!”, he joked, a sarcastic tone evident in his voice.  
Then he looked down.  
  
“I'm sorry for using the communicator.”, he mumbled quietly.  
“I shouldn't have called you!” 

The look on the alphas face was regretful and pained and Minho once again felt sympathy rise within his chest.  
  
The boy looked even younger like that. 

“No, Hyunjin, none of this is your fault!”, the leader contradicted his friend, eyes serious.  
“You did the right thing by notifying me!”

Minho knew, he was eavesdropping, but he didn't want to interrupt their personal conversation and his sharp senses enabled him to hear every word, even against his will.  
  
Suddenly, a low voice sounded right next to his left ear. 

“I know you don't want to intrude on them, but if we don't act fast, this could be their last verbal exchange forever!” 

A startled shriek escaped the alpha's lips as he jumped sideways in shock.  
Next to him stood Seungmin, his mouth curled upwards into a shit-eating grin for being able to scare him, but his eyes were sporting a serious expression. 

“Fuck you, too!”, Minho grumbled, not knowing of a better comeback, before he stepped up to the two talking pack-mates.  
  
“I'm sorry to interrupt you,”, he said apologetically, as their heads turned to face him. “but we need to hurry.” 

The tall alpha nodded.  
  
“Let's move him along with the sheets!”, he proposed with his gaze set on Minho.  
  
Minho hummed in confirmation before squatting down to grab one side of the blanket beneath the leader tightly, the younger alpha doing the same on the other side.  
Then, they simultaneously lifted the leader up, both grunting under the heavy weight. 

After seeing the blond boy's ribs before, Minho really wondered, how the boy could weigh that much, but he assumed, that it was just because of his own already tired and exhausted arms, that his mind was exaggerating.

Him and the other alpha carried the leader over to the fire, that had already been burning at their arrival.  
  
By now, Woojin had fed the hungry flames with more branches from outside, letting it dance even hotter within the set-up ring of stones.

Next to it, within a save distance to the flames, the boys lowered the blond down, along with the sheets.  
  
Panting, the tall alpha straightened his bend posture and bowed his head at Minho, who held his aching back.  
  
Apparently, his spine hadn't gotten the message that he was only 19!

“Thank you for all the help you are giving us!”, the younger boy stated gratefully. His eyes still looked dull from hunger and exhaustion, but there was some kind of lively sparkle starting to shine within them again.  
  
“My name is Hyunjin, by the way.”, the alpha then added, indicating another short bow.  
Minho returned the gesture. 

“I'm Minho.”, he answered with a grin, hand going trough his messy hair.  
“I hope, we're past the stealing by now?”  
  
Hyunjin chuckled softly. 

“Yeah, I think we're done with missions like that.”, he murmured, looking down. 

Their conversation got interrupted by labored panting, when Jeongin tumbled through the main door, carrying a seemingly heavy bucket, filled with fresh water. 

Realizing the maknae's struggle, the short, buff omega of the other pack left his friend's side to hurry over to him and grabbed the handle of the bin.  
Lifting it up with ease, he forced Jeongin to let go, whose mouth was hanging open in admiration of the boy‘s display of strength. 

Without further struggle, the omega brought the bucket over to Seungmin, who was once again kneeling next to Chan, silently talking with him.  
  
Upon the arrival of the dark-haired omega, he looked up, letting out a pleased sound. 

“Finally!” Dipping a small cup into the water, once the older omega had placed it right beside him, Seungmin handing it to Chan, who tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down again. 

“Nuh-uh, you will stay in your position! We'll help you lift your head up.”, Seungmin ordered, his voice firm.   
  
Facing the short boy, who was still standing next to him, he snapped his fingers.  
  
“You!”, he motioned for the older.  
“Stabilize his head so he can drink!” 

Minho had to suppress a laugh at the sour look the dark-haired boy was sporting, seemingly offended by the younger boy's rude speech, but he complied nonetheless.   
  
His priority appeared to be his leader and not formalities.  
  
Chan himself looked ready to protest, but he wisely decided against it. 

One should never argue with Seungmin, especially not, while he was working.   
It was a battle one was destined to loose!

As soon as he was sure that His patient was getting water, Seungmin turned around, eyes meeting Minho's.  
“I need you and you,” he pointed at Woojin. “to help me with the operation!” 

Then he faced Hyunjin, who was standing next to Minho, apparently unsure of what to do.  
  
Shortly, Seungmin seemed to hesitate, but only a second later, he continued. 

“You, take your friends and get something to eat!”, he ordered, throwing a short glance towards the young omega, who stood helplessly a few meters away from the fire, watching the scene unfold with big doe eyes. 

Woojin nodded in agreement.  
  
“Jeongin will show you where you can wash up!”, he added, waving for the young alpha to come over from his place on the other side of the fire.  
“It's better, if everyone, who isn't needed for this procedure, leaves the room!”  
_____

With Felix still gone, Jeongin stood alone within the frame of the main door, ready to exit the building, along with the three members of the foreign pack. 

Minho inhaled deeply, before heading towards the maknae, who curiously turned his head to face him.  
Once he reached the young alpha, he lowered his voice to a whisper in order to keep his words between him and Jeongin. 

“Bring them as far away as possible.”, he instructed the boy, his worried gaze wandering over the three friends that were currently standing next to their leader's makeshift-bed to share a few last words.  
  
Jeongin nodded. 

“Don't worry, hyung!”, he reassured, showing Minho a thumbs-up.  
“I'll make sure that they won't hear too much of what's going to happen in here.”  
  
His expression became said and pained.  
  
“You might not believe me,”, he added quietly, turning his head away.  
“But the day of your operation, was also one of the worst for the rest of us! No pack likes seeing one of its members in pain.” 

Upon the memory, Minho and Jeongin simultaneously shuddered, a shiver running down their spines.  
  
“Although I really didn't want to take your place, hyung, no offense!”, the younger concludingly muttered. 

Minho only shook his head.  
  
“I wouldn't have wanted you to, either.”, he mumbled, before raising his hand to ruffle his dongsaeng's black bangs.  
  
“Take good care of them!”, he exclaimed one last time.  
Then he left Jeongin behind, who was whining about his friend ruining his hair, to join the little group at the fire.   
  
He reached there just in time to hear Seungmin pipe up. 

“Would you please leave?! I really need to start with the operation or he will most certainly bleed to death! He already almost had one circulatory collapse, I really don't need another one during the procedure!” 

The omega’s voice sounded edged, and Minho knew right away, that things were getting more critical.  
Without hesitation, he stepped up to the tall alpha. 

“Hyunjin-ah, it's time!”, he murmured calmly, knowing the boy would get the message.  
  
As expected, the alpha turned around and nudged his two friends to get them going as well.  
  
“Please fix him up!”, he pleaded, his words directed at Seungmin, before he grabbed the hand of the short boy next to him, who only threw Minho a quick glance before following his pack-mate. 

With a grave expression, Minho watched them go, internally readying himself to be present during an operation that still haunted him during his worst nightmares and made him sick.  
  
Throwing up on the patient was most certainly not something Seungmin would appreciate him doing.

When he finally turned towards the injured leader, he almost jumped backwards in surprise.  
  
Right in front of him stood the younger omega from the other pack, intently staring right into his eyes. 

“I can help!”, he proposed, his voice sounding desperate. He probably was still suspicious of the rival pack’s intentions. 

Minho could understand him.  
  
Sitting around while your pack-mate was suffering, was something no person dealt well with, and putting ones trust in a pack that became their friend only an hour ago wasn't easy either.  
  
But he also knew that the omega wouldn't be able to bear hearing the pained cries of his leader, let alone help them hold him down.  
So for once, the alpha decided against snapping at the younger. 

“He will live!”, he reassured with a deep voice that he hoped, would hide his own emotional imbalance.  
“He won't like it, but he'll live! So stop worrying and trust us on this one!” 

The omega’s big eyes wandered down Minho's body to the place where the alpha had lifted his shirt a little bit to reveal the long scar that decorated his lower stomach.  
Gulping, the younger boy finally nodded. 

“Okay, I'll trust you!”, he relented, but his eyes were wide with fear and only left the alpha's scar, when Minho let his shirt fall back into its place. 

In that moment, the leader’s voice sounded from behind the omega, demanding his attention. 

“It's alright, Sungie, I'll be okay!”, the blond boy rasped out, the beginnings of a smile on his face.  
  
To Minho, he looked like a ghost with how pale his skin was by now.

“But you'll be in pain!”, the young omega whispered hopelessly, his fists clenched and head lowered so that his brown bangs were covering his eyes.  
He appeared very young, standing there alone, fearing for his older brother's life. 

The leader hummed soothingly as his scent spread, reaching out for his friend.   
It enveloped Minho as well and somehow calmed him down, too.  
However that was possible. 

“It can't really get any worse, now can it?”, the blond boy answered, his eyes set on the omega.  
  
Said boy raised his head at those words.  
  
“You're right!”, he mumbled while wiping away some few glistening tear-stains.  
“It's probably already at its worst!” 

When the short omegas gruff voice called from the entrance of the room where the youngest's two friends were waiting, the boy finally moved, leaving his leader's side with one last glance towards the red stains on the sheets the blond boy was laying on. 

As he was about to pass Minho, he suddenly sidestepped.   
  
Grabbing the startled alpha's shirt and pulling him closer till their noses were almost touching, a growl escaped the omegas lips as he hissed.  
  
“Note this: if he dies, I'll come for you first!” 

His voice sounded dangerously low and his eyes were burning themselves into Minho's own ones.  
The alpha was unable to move a muscle. He felt hot and the sweet scent surrounding him due to the younger's closeness was not helping this matter as it was like a warm blanket, closing itself around his body. 

Just when Minho felt unable to endure this situation any longer, the young omega let him go, stepping back and turning on his heel before rushing out of the room.   
His scent trailed after him, until all that was left, was a faint whiff dancing around the befuddled alphas nose. 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Minho stepped towards the only people left within the room. 

“Well, that was scary!”, he mumbled, before focusing on the matter at hand. 

The blond leader hadn't moved a bit but on his forehead, the alpha could see tiny droplets of sweat forming, glistening in the light of the flickering fire.  
  
Woojin and Seungmin were still busy heating up the knives, that the omega would need for the operation, so Minho crouched down next to the injured boy, who threw him a wary glance. 

“It's gonna be a lot worse than it is now, right?”, he asked, his eyes holding a fearful glimmer. 

Minho wanted to lie, to tell him everything would be fine and easy-going, but he couldn't.  
  
Not, when the leader in front of him was about to experience the worst pain in his life.  
  
So he simply nodded, gaze avoiding direct eye-contact and lips pressed together tightly. 

The blond heaved out a sigh with a quivering chest.  
  
“If I wouldn't already start to see everything blurry due to my blood loss, I'd say 'screw this', but I guess, there really is no other way.”, he slurred, words beginning to get harder to understand. “You don't happen to have some kind of stick I could bite down on?” 

Regretfully, Minho shook his head.  
Anything around here would most certainly splinter if someone as strong as the other pack's leader bit down on it and Seungmin would murder him if he had to pull pieces of wood out of the injured boy's mouth as well. 

The blond clenched his teeth.  
  
“Damn it!”, he cursed, eyes closing in frustration. 

In that moment, Seungmin and Woojin joined them, both sporting serious expressions. 

“Are you ready?”, the omega asked, wiping his hands on another cloth, while staring at the leader.  
  
Said boy opened his eyes again and gave a humorless chuckle. 

“Can I say 'no'?”, he retorted, his expression pained and scared. 

“You can!”, Seungmin admitted, while pulling his sweater off and throwing it on one of the makeshift beds around the fireplace, leaving him in a simple t-shirt.  
  
When three surprised looking faces turned towards him, he added with a deadpan expression: “It just won't change the fact that I have to start now, you being ready or not.” 

The leader groaned silently. 

“Alright, I'm ready then, I guess.”, he rasped as his voice failed him again.  
“This better work!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliff-hanger, i know how fucking awful waiting for further chapters is, but i Need to Keep up my Goal of posting two chapters each week.  
> So, see u guys next Monday!


	6. Chapter 6

Never in his life had Woojin seen a wound as nasty looking as the one of the other leader. 

When Seungmin had first pulled off the blond boys shirt, revealing the open cuts, the ground beneath Woojins feet had started swaying for a few seconds, before he was able to regain his posture.  
  
No animal of his knowing would have been capable of clawing that deep into human skin and the thought, that even out here there were people living, who were ready to injure others as far as almost killing them, scared Woojin, even though he had already heard of occasional fights between other alphas. 

But the multiple red lines that decorated the other leaders side in a cruel way, went way past the common dominance-fights.  
  
This crime had been committed by hate and Woojin was too afraid to ask for the delinquent's name.

Respect had began to grow within him since the moment, when the blond boy had threatened him for the safety of his pack-mates.  
  
Admiration for the strength and endurance the leader was showing.   
but at the same time, Woojin couldn't help but find the guy odd.  
  
His scent was calming, something extremely uncommon for alphas, and he didn't show any signs of aggression either.  
  
Something was very off about this other pack, and Woojin didn‘t know, how to act in the leader's presence.

Now, that he was kneeling right next to the injured boy's head, waiting for further instructions from Seungmin's side, he couldn't help but sneak a glance at his face from time to time.  
  
The blond's eyes were closed, his chapped lips quivering with every rattling breath he took.  
  
His bangs, that were hanging into his forehead, were damp with sweat and his furrowed brows showed Woojin the pain the leader already was in.  
  
Right now, he looked like a normal boy, injured and weak, and it made the alpha's heart clench in sympathy.  
  
He only hoped, the blond wasn't a wolf in sheep's clothing.

His gaze wandered over to Minho, who sat opposite him on the foreign boy's other side and was very obviously trying to hide his nervousness.  
  
Concerned, Woojin gave a low hum to get his friend’s attention.  
Said alpha threw him a quick look, visibly feeling uncomfortable. 

“Will you manage?”, Woojin asked quietly while shrugging his black jacket off and throwing it towards one of the corners of the room.  
It landed a few meters away, raising a cloud of dust at its impact with the stony floor. 

Minho chuckled mutely as he pushed the sleeves of his own sweater up.  
  
“I'll be okay!”, he murmured, hands going through his dark hair.  
“I'm just gonna try and keep my breakfast in.” 

“Yeah, I'd appreciate you not barfing on me!”, a third voice suddenly piped up from in between them, where the other leader had opened his wary eyes.  
  
Minho snorted. 

“I'll try my best!”, he replied dryly.  
“No promises though.”

In that moment, Seungmin interrupted their short conversation, gaze dark and serious.  
  
“We have to start!”, he informed, before motioning for Woojin and Minho.  
“I need you to hold his arms down. Tightly, or I won't be able to operate properly.”  
  
Both alphas nodded in affirmation. 

“I think the painkillers are finally kicking in.”, the blond stated from the ground, apparently suddenly eager to talk although his voice was unstable and interrupted by shallow breaths.  
  
His words earned him confused looks.  
  
“I swallowed five leftover pills against the pain before coming for my friends’ rescue.”, he explained with slight slur.  
“I think, they are finally working. I can't feel my feet properly.” 

Seungmin let out an unbelieving snort.  
  
“You did fucking what?”, he questioned just to be sure.  
“You swallowed five whole pills against pain? At once?” 

When the blonde nodded, he shook his head in disbelief.  
  
“If you have a death-wish, tell me before I start this operation so I can save my breath and energy!”, he mumbled grumpily before shortly checking his patient's pulse.  
  
“They are most certainly not kicking in, since they loose their effect after about ten years the latest.”, he explained with a serious expression before throwing a worried glance towards the leader's feet.  
“Hate to bring it to you, but the numbness of your legs comes from the blood loss.” 

Hurriedly, the omega pointed at Woojin and Minho.  
  
“Hold him down, I really need to start now!”, he ordered.   
Both boys complied silently.

Minho grabbed the leader's right arm, while Woojin closed his hands around the boy's left, securing it to the floor.  
  
Panicking, the blond growled lowly, jaw clenched tightly, as he tried to move his hands.  
When Woojin threw him a scrutinizing look however, he stopped. 

“Sorry, it's a reflex.”, the leader explained apologetically while trying to hold still.  
His dark eyes were now properly opened, pupils widened in fear.  
  
Woojin couldn't hold it against him, though.  
If it'd been him, he'd be terrified.

  
He had seen, in how much pain Minho had been back then during his operation and he honestly doubted, that the blond leader would be any more comfortable with a hot knife within his wounds.  
  


Seungmin, who was kneeling next to the boys wound, carefully removed the towel that had served as a makeshift band-aid until now.  
  
Immediately, fresh blood was gushing out of the deepest cut on the leaders side, dying the omega's hands red, who was busy trying to wash the ripped skin clean of crimson stains.  
  
Once the wound was clearly visible, Seungmin grabbed the handle of a big knife which blade had lain within the embers of the burning fire, pulling the glowing metal out of the heat. 

“Alright, put one of your hands on his chest and hold him down there as well!”, the omega instructed Woojin.  
  
He did as told, laying his left hand on the blond's heaving lungs, right above the spot where the boys heart was beating rapidly within his rib-cage.  
Woojin could feel it‘s wild thundering against his palm.

“No offense!”, Woojin murmured apologetically.  
“This is gonna be a necessity!” 

“None taken!”, the blond under him replied through clenched teeth. 

And then, Seungmin began.  
__________

Chan's whole body was on fire, he was sure of it. 

Hot flames were licking at every part of his skin, eating him alive and if someone had told him that his body wasn't already burned, wasn't creating blisters, wasn't being skinned by the torching heat, he wouldn't have believed them. 

Some part of his mind told him to suppress his cries, that forced his lips open again and again, but Chan didn't know how he could possibly endure this torture silently without voicing this immense agony he was experiencing. 

How much time had already passed and how much longer this torment would go on, Chan had no idea.  
  
He was trapped within a black void, unable to see or hear anything but the crackling of the fire that was slowly devouring him. 

Another wave of pain rolled through his body, forcing his muscles to convulse.  
  
There was a heavy pressure on his chest that held him down mercilessly, not allowing him to escape the flames, and Chan let out a desperate howl, futilely trying to free himself. 

But just as as he wanted to give up, let his body get eaten by the hungry fire, a strong scent enveloped him, filled his aching lungs like the oxygen he so desperately needed and allowed him to breathe again.  
  
The pain was still raging through his veins, but now, Chan had something else to focus on, something to distract him from the agonizing burn. 

And Chan clung to it like it was his last anchor.  
__________

All Woojin's combined strength was needed to hold the blond boy down, as soon as Seungmin pressed the hot knife into the leaders deepest wound.  
  
A scream, filled with agony, erupted from the injured boy's lips, as his entire body convulsed in pain in the attempt to throw Woojin off.  
  
Out of the corner of his eyes, the alpha could see Minho struggle to hold the right arm of the fighting leader down as well.  
  
Admittedly, the blond was stronger than Woojin had expected, but he hoped, that the energy would soon leave the boy's body.

Again, Seungmin held the glowing metal into the bleeding cuts and a next wave rolled through the body of the injured boy, almost making Woojin loose his grip by how intense it was. 

The smell of burned flesh crazed his nose and let bile rise within the alpha's throat.  
Gagging, he swallowed heavily.  
The scent was disgusting to say the least and Woojin felt sorry for Minho, whose sense of smell was even more sensitive than his own. 

As soon as Seungmin interrupted the burning to reheat his knives, Woojin leaned forward, until his face was hanging directly above the still thrashing leader's head.  
Said boys' eyes were clouded over with pain, his slightly bleeding lips still releasing soft whimpers and pants. 

“Hey!”, Woojin called out, voice gentle.  
“Chan, was it?”  
  
The blond boy seemed to hesitate, gaze clearing a little to properly look at the alpha above him.  
He didn't answer, but Woojin was sure to have his attention, so he continued. 

“It's gonna be okay!”, he reassured, his left hand feeling the rapid beating of the boys heart.  
“Focus on me, alright?”  
  
He would have liked to wipe the sweat off the leader's forehead and cool him down a little, but there was no time, seeing as Seungmin was already pulling a knife out of the fire again. 

“Attention!”, the omega warned, before he continued with the procedure. 

Again, the boy convulsed under Woojin, letting out another desperate cry that didn't only hurt the alpha's ears but also his heart.  
  
He didn't quite know, why, since he only met the strange leader this very day, but he felt as if he, too, was being tortured. 

Pressing his hand down on the boys chest even firmer, Woojin once again leaned over the blonde. 

“Focus on me, Chan!”, he ordered, a low growl within his voice.  
He usually did this to make his pack-mates obey him in critical situations and even though he hated forcing his dominance upon other people, sometimes he deemed it necessary. 

Right now it was needed and apparently, it worked on the other leader as well. 

Attentively, Chan opened his squinted eyes wide, staring directly into Woojin's face.  
He looked vulnerable and younger than before, tears glistening within his dark lashes, and Woojin felt the strong urge to protect him starting to squirm somewhere deep within his chest. 

This wasn't just a strong pack-leader!  
  
This was also just a boy, not much older than everyone else of their groups, who had had to grow up way too soon to survive within this merciless world!  
  
Just like himself!

“Focus on me!”, Woojin repeated, a determined tone within his quiet voice, when he heard Seungmin burn out another part of the boy's wounds. 

A sob escaped the leader's throat, but apparently, his strength had finally left him, since he no longer fought as vehemently against the two alphas holding him down.   
  
Instead he just stared upwards, eyes fixated on Woojin, who kept mumbling senseless words, just to distract him from the pain.

After what felt like eternity to Woojin, a clattering noise sounded from behind him, as Seungmin let go of the still faintly glowing knives and heaved a relieved sigh. 

“Okay, I'm done with the burning!”, the omega then informed, while dunking one of the towels into the bucket of water and carefully cleaning the reddened skin around the burned cuts.  
“Now all that is left, are a few stitches, to make sure, the wound doesn't rip open again as soon as he moves.”

Woojin let out a deep breath.  
Carefully, he loosened his grip on the blond boy's arm without letting go completely.  
The leader lay under him motionlessly, the movements of his chest only barely visible.. 

“Woah, don't die now, you hear me!”, Minho next to him exclaimed, controlled panic within his voice.  
”Otherwise I'd have a very angry squirrel to deal with!” 

“Squirrel?”, Woojin asked in confusion.  
  
Minho nodded. 

“Yeah, the young, annoying omega-boy that keeps throwing death-threats in my direction.”, he explained matter-of-factly.  
“He kinda looks like a squirrel.”  
  
The alpha set his gaze at nothing in particular, seemingly lost in thought.  
  
“Well, a very hungry squirrel at least.”, he then added before focusing back on the blond boy beneath them.  
  
“Don't die!”, he ordered sharply, making Woojin chuckle. 

Since the leader wasn‘t showing any signs of suddenly starting his previous fight again, Woojin allowed himself to let go of the boy's arm to grab one corner of the sheet under him and gently wipe off the blond's forehead.  
  
A weak groan escaped the leader's throat, as he turned his head in Woojin's direction before blinkingly opening his eyes.   
  
His unfocused gaze wandered around until it set on the alpha's face, exhaustion evident within his expression. 

“Welcome back!”, Woojin greeted him calmly.   
Under his left hand that was still placed on the blond boy's chest, he could feel the now slower but steadier beating of his heart. 

“Please tell me, it's over!”, Chan rasped out, his voice almost non-existent with how hoarse it was.  
  
Smiling, Woojin nodded.  
  
“Seungmin only has to stitch you up, then you're released.”, he reassured and the leader sighed in relief.  
  
“Thank goodness!”

“Done!”, Seungmin exclaimed in that moment, before letting himself fall backwards onto his bum. 

Minho released a loud groan, rising to his feet to stretch his numb legs.  
  
“I'm never doing that again!”, he stated dryly.  
“Neither as a patient, nor as an assistant!”

Amused, Woojin let out a laugh to get rid of the pent up tension within his body, before he took his hand off Chan's chest, finally freeing him completely. 

“Let's hope, none of this will ever be needed again!”, he mumbled, before scrambling to his feet as well.  
  
He was about to lend the other leader a hand to help him up, when he realized his mistake.  
  
Awkwardly, he pulled his arm back again and ranked his fingers through his own hair to cover up his embarrassment. 

“Seungmin, where do you want us to position Chan?”, he asked instead, eyes flickering between the blond boy and the omega behind him.  
  
The latter rose to his feet as well, dusting off his pants before answering. 

“He can stay just a few meters away from the fire. We have to change the blanket under him, though!” 

Woojin nodded in understanding, when Minho cut in once more.  
  
  
“When exactly did you guy get to first-name-basis?”, he asked with genuine interest, his dark eyes fixated on Woojin with a certain amount of mock visible within them. 

Woojin shrugged his shoulders.  
“Never, really.”, he admitted.  
“He just called himself by his name before and it felt weird to keep going by pronouns, so I took the initiative!” 

His gaze lowered itself to the blond's face. Said boy was seemingly fighting against exhaustion, as his eyelids were drooping deeper and deeper with every passing minute.  
  
“I didn't ask his permission yet, though.”, Woojin added thoughtfully. 

The leader to his feet snorted abruptly, startling the alpha.  
  
He had been under the impression, the boy was already half asleep and not paying attention to his surroundings anymore, but apparently, the blond had followed their conversation the whole time.  
  
It unsettled Woojin slightly, with how aware the leader was of everything.  
As if he had more senses than a normal person. 

Chan's hoarse voice interrupted the alpha's string of thoughts once again.  
  
“You literally just saved my life by burning out my wounds while I was fully conscious!”, he rasped out.  
“I don't think, first-name-basis is gonna hurt me!” 

Relieved, Woojin chuckled lowly.  
  
“Alright then, Chan!”, he exclaimed while bowing down to the injured boy.  
“I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to pick you up so that Minho can change your sheets.” 

Immediately, the blond boys eyes flew open, all tiredness gone within a second.  
  
“That's not necessary, I can stand up on my own!”, he protested, controlled panic evident within his voice. It made Woojin laugh. 

“Relax, I'm not gonna drop you!”, he reassured, as he put one arm under the boys legs, while his other raked itself around the leader's torso, careful not to come in contact with the wounds.  
  
“If you stand up now, Seungmin's hard work will be wasted and we don't want that, now do we?” 

Chan threw the omega a few steps further away a short glance, but when his gaze met Seungmin's murderous one, he gave in. 

“Fine!”, he grumbled, his left arm reaching up to hold onto Woojin's neck.  
  
Despite his closeness to the fire, the blond's hand was cold as ice on the alpha's skin, long fingers grabbing into his shoulder to get a proper grip, before Woojin slowly stood up again with the boy within his arms. 

Incredulously, Minho's jaw slacked as he watched the scene unfold.  
  
“I knew, you were strong, Woo.”, he then stated before shouting: “But what the fuck? You just did that, like it was nothing!”

“Might have looked like that to you.”, Woojin grunted.  
“But he is starting to get heavy, would you please hurry!”  
  
At his neck, he felt the other leader's grip tighten, as the boy tried to hold himself up.  
Woojin grinned.  
  
Apparently, Chan really was scared of being dropped. 

“Stop putting pressure on your stomach!”, Seungmin's scolding voice sounded over from where he was cleaning his utensils.  
“You'll have to do some standing in a minute anyways, since I need to wrap up your wounds.” 

Chan, still within Woojin's arms, complied, relaxing himself a bit.  
  
Woojin had to admit, the boy wasn't light, but he would have held him up for hours, if that had been needed for the leader's health.  
Somehow, the stubborn boy was already starting to grow on him. Enough at least to make Woojin want to help him.

Although he still found the blond weird.

Finally, Minho, who had run off a few seconds ago, returned with a new blanket which he draped on the floor, three meters away from the fire, before he went to grab the blood-stained ones from before.  
  
While Woojin carried the injured leader over to the new bed, his friend examined the ruddled sheets within his hands. 

“I don't think, we'll be able to clean them properly!”, he stated, gaze switching over to Seungmin, who only shrugged. 

“We do it as well as possible and then we can use them as sheets for the medical room.”, he decided, his tone casual.  
“If something similar ever happens again, we can reuse them.” 

Minho grunted disapprovingly.  
  
“Let's hope we'll never have to!”, he mumbled under his breath.

Woojin, upon reaching the fresh blanket, slowly lowered the leader within his arms down onto the bed. 

“Thanks!”, Chan murmured awkwardly as he untangled his left arm from the alpha's neck.  
  
Somehow, Woojin already missed his touch.  
Irritated, he shook his head and flashed the blond boy a smile. 

“No problem!”, he replied cordially.  
“Let's just wait for Seungmin to properly patch you up!” 

As if he had been summoned at the mention of his name, the omega rushed over to them, some bandages within his hands.  
  
Expectantly, Chan turned his head to face the healer, waiting for the omega to reach them, before he spoke up. 

“You want me to stand?”, he asked, some sort of hopeful glimmer within his eyes.  
Woojin assumed, that he was the kind of person who hated being dependent.  
  
Seungmin, however, shook his head in objection. 

“No, I just want you in a standing _position_!”, he corrected before facing the alpha next to him.  
“Woojinnie-hyung will be the one getting you there.” 

Frustrated, the blond leader let out a huff.  
  
“I'm not a baby that needs to be taken care of!”, he grumbled, but one look from the omega shut him up. 

"No, you are severly injured and just came in a Whisker of death!", Seungmin bit dryly.  
"Now shut up and do it!"

Lips pressed together tightly, the leader gave in to his fate, his hand reaching for Woojin again, who had already crouched down to wrap his arms around the other boys torso once more.   
Woojin made sure to hold onto the blond tightly, before he slowly straightened his legs and pulled Chan up in the process, who stretched his wobbling feet out to balance himself.  
  
Heavy panting sounded from the blonde, as he tried to regain his strength. 

"Wow, this is harder, than I thought!”, he hissed through clenched teeth, with almost all of his weight supported by Woojin. 

Said alpha lifted his head to look around, wanting to ask his friend for assistance but not being able to spot him anywhere within the main hall. 

“Where did Minho go?”, he asked Seungmin, who had started to wrap a clean band-aid around the leader's stomach. 

“I sent him outside to inform the others of our success.”, the omega answered, his focus not shifting from his task.  
“I'm sure, they'll want to see their friend safe and sound.” 

Woojin nodded in understanding before a grin started to spread on his face.  
  
“Let's just hope, they don't murder him with too much affection!”, he mumbled, an amused tone to his voice.  
  
His words earned him a soft chuckle from Chan and a harsh slap against his arm from Seungmin to remind him to not make his patient laugh, who had just gotten his stomach sewn together.  
_________

Minho was on his way outside to wash the dirty sheets from their operation, when he suddenly got held back by Seungmin's voice. 

The omega was carrying the bucket, filled with water and the used tools, as he caught up to the alpha in big steps. 

“You don't need to come back!”, he informed Minho with an optimistic expression.  
“Woojin can help me with the rest. You can go and inform the waiting guys outside of the well-being of Chan.” 

Amused, Minho raised one brow.  
  
“Isn't he older than you?”, he asked mockingly, but Seungmin waved him off. 

“I just saved his ass, fuck formalities!”, he answered dryly, making the alpha laugh. 

“Don't let Woojin hear you swear!”, he recommended over his shoulder, already walking off towards the entrance.  
“But I admit, you did great.” 

The small 'thanks' sounding from behind him brought a smile to Minho's face, before he reached the staircase,?calmly walking towards the main door. 

Upon opening it, brightness shone into his eyes that were still used to the dim light inside the building and he was forced to halt his movements for a moment and wait until he could properly see again.  
  
Once his vision cleared, he could make out two silhouettes running towards him from the stream, that crossed the clearing a little further away from the apartment-tower. 

Within seconds the figure in the front had reached him, turning out to be the younger omega of the other pack.  
His wide eyes fearfully examined the blood-stained sheets within Minho's left hand, before his hopeful gaze set on the alpha. 

“Is he okay?”, he asked, still a little out of breath from the run.  
  
Truthfully, Minho nodded. 

“Yeah, he is fine, although a little tired and disoriented.”, he replied, before reaching out just in time to grab the omega, who had tried to run past him into the building, by the arm.  
With an effortless movement, Minho pulled the thrashing boy backwards again.  
  
“Give them some more time so that Seungmin can patch him up properly!”, he ordered, voice firm. 

Grumbling, the younger complied, crossing his arms over his chest. 

By now, the other members of both packs had reached them, too.   
Felix still looked a little pale, especially when he saw the ruddled blanket within Minhos grasp, but other than that, they all seemed fine.  
  
Minho could see, that the hungry expression within the intruder's eyes had vanished, letting them appear healthier and more content than before.  
In his opinion, it suited them much better than the starved look they had sported before.

“How much longer?”, the younger omega asked in that moment, voice whiny like the one of a little child.  
  
Exasperated, Minho let out an annoyed groan as he felt his irritation return.  
This boy really knew how to get on his nerves. 

“It hasn't even been two minutes!”, he snapped.  
“What are you? A baby?” 

The omega beside him frowned. 

“Jeez, who the fuck stepped on your tail?“, he questioned dryly.  
“No need to spread negativity here!” 

Fighting for self control, Minho let out a deep breath.  
  
“Just- wait!”, he pressed out through clenched teeth. 

The omega pouted and Minho could hear Felix and Jeongin snicker in the background.  
  
Their laughter increased, when only solid 37 seconds later - yes, Minho had been counting to calm himself down – the brown-haired boy in front of him piped up again. 

“How about now?” 

Minho raised his head to look at the clouded sky.  
  
“Heavens, give me patience or the permission to kill him!”, he growled, only to receive an answer from the buff-looking omega a few steps further away. 

“Permission denied!”, the boy exclaimed, gaze warningly set on Minho.  
  
Grumbling, the alpha shifted his weight from one foot to the other. 

“I wasn't talking to you!”, he snapped, before giving up and waving the annoying omega off, who was fidgeting next to him, throwing glances towards the building now and then. 

“Whatever, go see him, but be careful with his wound...”, he trailed off as the omega didn‘t even wait for him to finish but bolted past him and up the stairs with lightning-speed.   
  
His two friends followed him, the tall alpha being the only one who threw Minho an apologetic glance while passing him. 

“Fine, don't listen to me!”, Minho muttered sulkily.  
“Get killed by Seungmin then!” 

Then, he walked past his own two pack-mates, ignored their cackles and headed towards the stream to wash the stained blanket he was still holding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for updating one day late. I wish i had an excuse, but because of the corona-holiday, i simply forgot the date...  
> I promise, ill be better in the future!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to everyone reading this: thank you!  
> To everyone taking their time to leave kudos: i love you!  
> To everyone who bothers enough to comment: you are my hero!
> 
> Also, i apologize beforehand: this chapter is boring, but i deemed it necessary for the Story.  
> Maybe, i'll post a third chapter tonight as an apology for being late on my scedule and to Keep you guy's Attention and interest in the book upright!

At the time, Minho returned to the apartment-tower, the shadows cast by the forest around them were already getting longer and darker.  
Due to the clouded sky, the sun wasn't visible, but the alpha was sure that it was already late afternoon. 

The wet blanket within his hand still held some faint stains despite Minho's fervent scrubbing, but it looked way better than before the alpha's effort.   
Less like he had just killed someone with the innocent gray cloth.  
  
Blood really was a pain to wash out!

When Minho reached the stairs leading up to the entrance, his ears caught distant chatter sounding from the main hall.  
  
Curious of what was going on, the alpha pushed the door open and walked up the staircase that led to the second floor.   
The scene, that unfolded in front of his eyes, as he entered the room, was very unfamiliar.

The fire, that was burning in the middle of the room, was throwing a flickering shine against the walls, painting everything a faint orange.  
  
Although it was still bright outside, in here, it felt like a cozy evening and the warm atmosphere immediately pulled Minho in and loosening his tense muscles that were sore from the labors of the day.  
But that wasn't what had gotten his attention. 

Around the blanket the foreign leader was laying on, six people had gathered, seated within small groups that were all not much further away than two meters at a maximum. 

Right at the blond boy's side sat the young omega, his back leaned against one of the leader's propped up legs while he seemingly talked about something, how Minho dated to interpret his wildly gesturing hands.

A little bit to the right, closer to the fire, sat Jeongin and Seungmin, tangled up within each other as always, only that now, the tall alpha, Hyunjin, had joined them, giggling every time they showed their weird antics. 

Felix was laying on his stomach on one of the sheets that were spread on the floor, hands supporting his head. He was watching the short omega from the other pack, who was seemingly listening to his friend's story while he stared into the dancing flames. 

They all gave off a domestic vibe, being around each other without any kind of rivalry, even though the group contained four alphas who only had met this very day, and under hostile conditions to top it off.  
  
Minho was stunned.   
If he hadn't known better, he wouldn't have been able to keep them apart that easily.

Silently, as to not disturb the peacefully chattering boys, Minho hung the still wet blanket over a dusty chair, that stood lined up against the wall next to the door specifically for the purpose of drying stuff they had to wash.   
Then he slowly made his way around the fire towards the only silhouette, who stood alone, next to the shelf where they stored their food. 

“Did I miss anything, while I was gone?”, Minho asked confused as soon as he reached Woojin's side, who was thoughtfully staring into the glowing embers.  
  
Upon the alpha's arrival, the oldest raised his gaze, a smile on his lips. 

“Nothing much! They started forming groups only minutes before you returned!”, he explained quietly in the obvious attempt to not gain anyone's attention.  
“We were waiting for you, so we could eat and make some introductions!” 

Minho nodded in understanding.  
  
“Okay then,”  
  
His fingers fumbled over a blister on his left palm, probably caused by him washing the sheet before.  
  
“Let's get started, I'm hungry.” 

As if he was trying to prove his point, just in that moment, his stomach gave a loud rumble, pulling the looks of everyone else present to the alpha.  
  
Awkwardly, Minho rubbed his nape.  
  
“Anyone else starving, too?”, he asked, which he earned himself some snickers from his own pack-mates with. 

Woojin gave him a pat on the back.  
  
“I agree, it's been a long day!”, he stated with a grin. Turning around he reached for a basket, they had found on one of the upper stores of the building some time ago, filled with the rest of the meat from their last hunting trip, before handing it to Minho.  
  
Tomorrow they'd have to get new food again, but that was a thing to worry about in the morning. 

“Would you hand out?”, Woojin asked with a gesture towards the seven boys behind them who were waiting like baby-birds to get fed.  
“I'm gonna get us some more sticks, so we can reheat the meat over the fire.” 

Sighing, Minho nodded, before grabbing the basket and joining the groups around the fireplace.  
  
The awkward incident caused by his stomach had already stopped the conversations between the waiting boys, which made it easier for Minho to grab their attention fully. 

“Could we all maybe form a circle around the fire?”, he requested, the meat-filled basket in his left hand while his right pointed to the area next to the stony circle surrounding the dancing flames.  
  
“I think that would be the best solution for now.” 

Following his words, Felix and the tall alpha from the other pack rose to their feet.  
  
Hyunjin shooed the younger omega away from his leader's side before dragging the sheets the blonde was laying on, a little closer to the fire, along with the help of the buff omega. 

Minho could see on the injured boy's face, how much he hated being immobile, as his brows furrowed and his lips formed a straight line, but nonetheless, the leader didn't utter a single word of disapproval.  
  
Apparently he had accepted his fate for now.  
Or he was simply too exhausted to refuse any kind of help.

Meanwhile, Felix had asked the younger omega's help for dragging the remaining blankets over the floor together to form a circle they could all sit on. 

Seungmin and Jeongin had made way for the boys who actually listened to Minho, and were continuing their weird fight, that included rolling through the dust on the floor and playfully growling at each other, a few meters away from everyone else, but as soon everything was set up, the two young boys ended their quarreling and joined the rest of the two groups to sit down on a free spot on the blankets and cushions.

Minho sighed, before letting himself fall down on the sheets as well, opposite the young omega, who had sat down between his leader's head and Felix. 

Timidly, Hyunjin lowered himself to Minho's left side with the short omega following his action and seating himself in the very same position his younger friend had been before, propped up against his leader's leg. 

Just, when Minho was about to turn his head, looking for Woojin, the alpha appeared next to him, nine wooden sticks in his hands and each of them long enough to reach the fire with from their positions. 

“I suggest, we'll just pass around the basket so that everyone can take some pieces of meat for themselves!”, he proposed.  
  
His eyes roamed the circle of boys for objections but he received none.  
  
Wordlessly he handed the sticks to his right where Jeongin was seated, who took one and continued passing the spits on. 

Minho turned to his left and held out the basket to the tall alpha beside him.  
  
Reluctant, the boy took it with an unsure glance thrown towards his leader, whose eyes were closed again, probably due to fatigue. 

“I'm not really hungry!”, he murmured, and the two Omegas of his pack nodded along to his words with wary expressions.

Disbelieving Minho raised one eyebrow.  
  
“Your showing ribs would beg to differ!”, he deadpanned, ignoring the snort that came from Seungmin. 

“Well, we already ate the stuff we stole from you before...”, the young omega from the other pack chimed in before his voice trailed off at the end, gaze shamefully lowered to the floor.   
  
Woojin gave a conciliatory grin, his eyes showing a friendly sparkle. 

“You can't possibly tell me that this little bit of meat sated all of you.”, he asked, his scrutinizing look set on the young omega, who opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again wordlessly.  
  
It was evident that all of them were still hungry but none of them seemed brave enough to voice it in the face of the pack who had already helped them so much. 

Right when Minho was about to reassure them, tell them that it was alright, the blond leader opened his eyes again and set his intense gaze on Woojin. 

“Could my friends maybe eat with you for tonight?”, he questioned formally, his voice still a little hoarse.  
“I promise to help you hunt to make up my debt as soon as I am fully healed!” 

Minho could recognize the respect on Woojin's face as he nodded.  
  
“Of course, we never planned to let you starve while we stuff our faces!”, he replied in a warm tone. 

The other leader bowed his head thankfully as far as that was possible within his lying position and motioned for his pack-mates to eat.  
  
“You heard him!”, he mumbled lowly. “Don't reject their hospitality!” 

Only now, Minho noticed the gray shirt the other leader was wearing, seemingly provided by Seungmin or Woojin to cover up his bandaged torso.  
Curious, the alpha sniffed the air, only to catch a faint whiff of his leaders scent that almost fully covered up the confusing smell of the injured boy.  
  
Minho grinned.  
  
Woojin had made sure to show who was in charge during the other packs stay with them. 

_'Not liking ranks, my ass!'_ , he thought while throwing a quick glimpse to the alpha beside him, who was casually teasing Jeongin about something at the moment.  
_'You're already trying to drown out his odor!'_

Hyunjin next to him murmured a quiet 'thanks' before helping himself to a piece of meat and passing the basket on to his short friend who mirrored his action while nodding in Woojin's direction. 

The younger omega, too, grabbed two slices out of the basket - one for his leader - before handing the basket over to Felix, from where it continued its round until it reached Minho again.   
  
After taking one for himself as well he put the basket back behind his back to move it out of his way. 

As soon as he looked ahead again, Hyunjin was already handing him the last stick to spit his meat on.  
  
Gratefully, Minho took it, impaling his food and holding it over the scorching flames to heat it up once more. 

They always roasted everything their hunts brought them immediately to prevent wild animals and vermin from getting attracted by the smell of raw meat, but often stored parts of their haul for later use.  
  
Only that cold meat was way less enjoyable compared with when it was still hot and steaming, which was why they had formed the habit of reheating their food before every meal. 

Silence had filled the room while everyone had been busy preparing their sticks, but now, Woojin's voice cut through the air again, gaining everyone's attention.  
  
“I think, it is time for some explanations.”, he started, gaze on the blond leader opposite him. 

Said boy only nodded curtly, his expression being unreadable.  
  
“I suppose we owe you at least that much”, he agreed while his right hand ghosted over his injured side. 

Woojin, however, shook his head with a smile.  
  
“You don't owe us anything that you are not ready to tell!”, he reassured, quickly sharing a look with Minho, who could see his leader's curiosity, despite his words.  
“But since we are all a part of this mess, I think we should at least introduce ourselves.” 

Minho could almost smell the relief radiating from the foreign pack-members and once again, he wondered what kind of secrets they were hiding.  
  
No one would get a wound as big as the leader's without some kind of fight and it itched the alpha to ask for the reason, but he restrained himself.  
  
Woojin was right to leave his nose out of the other pack’s business.  
For now!

When still no one made an attempt of making the first move with the tenseness of the other pack still not having vanished, Minho decided to support his leader. 

“Alright,”, he sighed, gaze set on the flickering flames of the fire to avoid possible eye-contact that could turn things awkward, while his hand turned the stick he was holding.  
  
“My name is Lee Minho and I am 19 years old.” 

His surname tasted weird on his tongue. Ever since he had left the city, he had dropped it and never really used it again.  
  
Out here, he only needed something to be called by his friends.   
Nothing more, nothing less and truth be told, Minho liked it that way.   
It was way less complicated, way less fake and somehow, it made the alpha feel more real.  
  
Like he had left everything behind that bound him to someone else, only keeping his own identity.

A snort pushed him out of his space of mind.  
When Minho looked up to find the source, he saw Seungmin's amused expression. 

“You sound so serious!”, the omega mocked, his hand pulling back his stick to test the temperature of his piece of meat.  
“No need to make it weird.” 

Offended, Minho sniffed.  
  
“I only said my name and my age!”, he protested, not understanding what the omega could possibly find funny about that. 

“Yeah, while looking like you were talking about the end of all life on earth.”, Seungmin retorted grinning. 

Embarrassed, Minho felt his cheeks flush a faint pink.   
He was about to defend himself, when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the relaxing expressions of the foreign pack-members.  
  
Realization hit him.  
  
Seungmin had tried to lift the mood a little and apparently, he had succeeded. 

To not destroy the newfound peace, Minho only grumbled.  
  
“Whatever!”, he murmured.  
  
“You do it then”, he added with his finger pointing at Seungmin, who smirked triumphantly before clearing his throat.

“I'm Seungmin, the only omega of this pack.”, he introduced himself.   
“And I'm turning 17 this year.”

His words got cut off by a loud gasp, coming from the young omega who was sitting across from Minho. 

“Someone just as old as me!”, he cheered, leaning forward to have a better look at Seungmin.  
  
Minho could see the omega's short friend roll his eyes at the younger's rudeness but remaining quiet, instead only taking a bite out of his food.

“Sungie, introduction!”, came the quiet remind from the leader, which got the omega to pull himself together.  
His cheeks puffed up in a blinding smile nonetheless.

“Okay, I'm Han Jisung!”, he stated, still grinning as if he had long forgotten that not everyone present was part of his own pack.  
“And I, too, am 17, born in autumn!” 

His happiness somehow triggered Minho's irritation again and filled him with the wish to tease the omega. 

“Hey Felix!”, he called out, an evil grin on his face.  
“You share your birthday with an idiot!” 

Felix and the boy, Jisung, simultaneously stuck out their tongues in the alphas direction, before facing each other. 

“Were you really born during fall as well?”, the omega asked, eyes widened in hope.  
  
Felix nodded with a smile. He shortly flipped Minho off before refocusing his attention on Jisung, who was still beaming. 

“Same-age-brother!”, the omega exclaimed, high-fiving the orange-haired alpha like an old friend. 

“Oh great, one crackhead more!”, Minho sarcastically mumbled under his breath, but apparently, no one heard him, except for Woojin, who chuckled lowly. 

“Okay, moving on!”, he picked up the word again, while turning towards Jeongin to encourage him to speak next.  
  
Fixing his long bangs, the young alpha grinned. 

“Hey, I'm Jeongin!”, he waved, eyes sparkling.  
“And I'm the maknae of the group with being only 16!” 

Jisung gave a delighted squeal.  
“Younger than me! Finally!” 

He sounded extremely happy, but Minho was quick to burst his bubble. 

“You don't want him as your dongsaeng, trust me!”, he warned, pointing at the youngest.  
“Behind his cute face he is a little shit who climbed his way up from hell!” 

Woojin gave a displeased grumble at his friend's curse but chose to let it go in the presence of the other pack. 

Otherwise, he would have scolded Minho for his choice of words.   
The leader had learned about honorifics and manners back in the city and valued them a lot. Therefore he never got tired of disciplining his younger friends, despite them living within the woods. 

Suspiciously, Jisung squinted his eyes together, seemingly overthinking the alpha's words while alternately looking at Minho and Jeongin.  
  
The latter was giving him his harmless-puppy-face. 

“Nah, he's innocent!”, the omega then decided with a Shake of his head.  
“No one can be this cute and evil!” 

Minho let himself fall back dramatically and threw his hands in the air in a relenting gesture.  
  
“I warned you!”, he simply stated, before he gave the tall alpha next to him an encouraging smile, asking him to go next.  
  
Said boy nodded shyly. 

“Hey, I'm Hyunjin!”, he said, voice soft.  
“And I'm 17 too, born in Spring.” 

Minho almost cooed.  
This boy seemed fragile, despite being an alpha and he swore to himself, in that very moment, that he would protect the guy. 

The very same second this thought had passed his mind, he inwardly gave himself a hard slap. 

What was he thinking? These boys weren't even part of his pack! He was in no way responsible for them and they would probably leave as soon as possible anyways.  
  
No need for him to get sentimental, let alone attached to them.

The gruff voice of the short buff-looking omega, whose name he hadn't heard even once yet, interrupted Minho's string of thoughts. 

“My name is Seo Changbin and I am 18 years old!” 

The gaze of the omega was still sharp, but Minho could see his insecurity within his nervously twitching fingers.  
Apparently, the boy named Jisung was the most outgoing out of the three friends.  
  
Somehow, that discovery didn't surprise the alpha in the slightest. 

“Okay, my turn!”, Woojin piped up after swallowing a piece of his meat that he had been chewing on.  
  
“I'm Woojin, the oldest out of this pack and Seungmin's older brother.”, he explained calmly as his gaze wandered over the newcomer's faces. 

Minho could see Changbin and Hyunjin bow their heads respectfully, their hands fiddling with their food.  
Only Jisung remained upright to flash the older alpha a sweet smile. 

“Thank you for helping us!”, he beamed, before finally lowering his gaze.  
“And sorry for stealing from you. We just really thought you'd be the ones less likely to beat our asses, that's why we chose you - nothing personal!” 

His choice of words forced a chuckle out of Minho, accompanied by a hiss from the blond leader. 

“Jisung, language!”, he scolded, sounding exactly like Woojin, whenever one of their pack swore in the presence of the oldest. 

Slightly laughing now, Minho elbowed his friend in the side.  
  
“He's your perfect match!”, he giggled, all caution forgotten.   
  
The doubled growl he received in return from both leaders only sent him into another fit of laughter.  
  
But soon after, he regained his posture, setting his expectant gaze on the one boy, who hadn't introduced himself yet. 

The blond leader had focused his black eyes on the fire, that was slowly burning down between them, seemingly lost in thought.  
Then, he raised his gaze to Woojin's face. 

“I'm Chan. Bang Chan.”, he stated with a low voice, still a little raspy from his prior screams.  
“I am the oldest of this small pack you have come to know, being 20 years old, born during fall as well”   
  
He inhaled deeply, his chest rising, before continuing.  
  
“I'd like to thank all of you for helping us in our situation. I know enough people, who wouldn't have.”

Silence filled the room in the face of the foreign leader's speech.   
Then, Woojin nodded, eyes still locked with Chan's dark ones. 

“We would never abandon someone in need!”, he explained as his mouth turned upward in a gentle smile.  
  
“Guess, I'll stay oldest!”, he added right after, a soft look ghosting over his expression as he examined the boys around him like proud father. 

Jeongin giggled, taking the last bite from his own food.  
  
“Grandpa Woojinnie-hyung remains!”, he cheered, voice muffled, only to earn himself a scolding slap against the back of his head from the older alpha. 

“Yah, swallow before you speak!”, Woojin chastised jokingly but in a strict tone nonetheless and the maknae nodded in apology. 

Minho felt content.  
  
His stomach was filled by now, all danger banned from their home and the cozy atmosphere here inside the warm building, that kept the chilly air of the upcoming night out, left him drowsy, tired from the long day, that had started way earlier for him and Jeongin, than it had for the rest of his pack, due to their watch. 

Yawning, the alpha leaned over to Woojin and nudged him in the side to get his friends attention. 

“I'd really like to stay up longer, but sleep is about to defeat me.”, he mumbled quietly, receiving a sympathetic look from Woojin. 

“Sure!”, the older replied, his voice low.  
“You wont be on watch anyways, so you can rest. I'll wake you, if needed.” 

Thankfully, Minho nodded before rising to his feet.   
His sore muscles protested as he grabbed the sheet he had been sitting on and dragged it a little further away from the fire to be out of rage from the occasionally flying sparks. 

Felix once had lain too close to the flames and his blanket had caught fire in the middle of the night.  
  
Luckily Woojin had woken up in time to save the younger from any serious burns, but since that day, all of them were really careful with the distance between them and the fire pit.

Minho wasn't sure, if the sun had even set yet, but his exhaustion left him unbothered of the current time, as he lowered himself on the blanket and placed his head on his arm as a makeshift-pillow. 

Not long after he had settled down, soft shuffling reached his ears, before Jeongin's warm body pressed against his, their scents mingling, turning into a comfortable smell that meant family to Minho. 

Humming softly, he patted the younger boy's head before letting his hand fall to his side, his conscience slowly drifting off into the soft darkness of his dreams. 

Normally, he wouldn't have trusted the strangers enough to sleep in their presence, but he knew, Woojin would keep an eye on them.  
  
Minho had nothing to fear. 

These thoughts in mind, he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading a lot of fanfics These past week, and now i feel slightly stupid because everyone's style of writing sounds so sophisticated and then there's me...so now i feel like re-writing my entire book, but every time i try, it somehow still doesn't improve-_-


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's another update, since i was late and the last chapter was kinds boring.  
> enjoy! :)

Changbin saw the alpha from the other pack murmur something into his leader's ear, only to get up right after and set up his place to sleep a few meters away from their circle, the younger boy to the other leader's right following his example and cuddling up to his friend. 

Envy started nibbling on his heart, as he watched the familiar intimacy between the two boys in the back. He himself loved skin-ship with his friends, and more than anything else in the world, he wished he could curl up to Chan's side right now and sleep for three days straight. 

But he also knew, that they couldn't let their guard down completely, couldn't only rely on the other pack.  
Someone had to keep watch and one look at Jisung's and Hyunjin's drooping eyelids, both of his friends desperately trying to fight against their exhaustion, showed Changbin that he had to take the initiative. 

He knew, Chan would probably offer to stay awake as well, but that was out of the question. His leader needed all the rest he could get to regain his strength and Changbin would even sing him a lullaby if that would finally put his insomnious leader to sleep. 

Although he was pretty sure that a song sung by him would have the rather opposite effect on anyone within a 300 feet radius.

Softly, Changbin ruffled Hyunjin's dark brown hair, the alpha slightly leaning into his touch due to his sleepiness.  
Then he cleared his throat to gain the other leader's attention, who looked up upon the quiet sound. 

“If you would let me, I'd like to help out with being on watch.”, he proposed carefully, gaze focused on the alpha's expression which had long softened since they had made their introductions.  
The boy named Woojin nodded in approval. 

“Sure, you can take over the first one!”, he agreed, giving Changbin a smile that soothed the omega's tenseness.  
“We always take turns guarding our home, normally two of us being on watch at the same time.” 

He let his gaze wander over the rest of his own pack, that was still awake, this only being the boy, that had treated Chan's wound and the freckled alpha with the deep voice that Changbin remembered as Felix.  
The latter had listened to their words and now raised his arms over his head to stretch. 

“I can take first watch as well!”, he offered, lowering his hands into his lap again.  
“I didn't do much today, since I was neither part of the running groups, nor the operation.”  
The boy shuddered at the memory of the second part.  
“Thank goodness for that!”, he added silently, almost inaudible for Changbin. 

The leader bowed his head gratefully.  
“Thank you, Felix!”, he sighed, stifling a yawn behind his hand.  
“You can just wake me at midnight!”  
An affirmative hum by the orange-haired alpha was all he got in return. 

Facing Changbin again, Woojin raised his brows in question.  
“Do you want a person from your pack to be your relay for the second watch?”, he asked, throwing a glimpse towards Changbin's left, where Chan was laying, barely able to keep his eyes open. 

Hesitating, Changbin bit his lip.  
He knew that he couldn't rely on the other pack so much, but on the other hand he wanted his friends to be able to get a good night of sleep. 

Unsure of what would be the best decision, he wanted to turn towards his leader, when suddenly, Hyunjin's sleepy voice piped up from his right. 

“I can take the second watch!”, he offered, head lowering to rest on Changbin's shoulder. 

Relieved by not having to decide all by himself, the omega looked towards Woojin, who nodded. 

“That's fine, you will be on watch with me.”, he explained, the younger alpha stiffening slightly at the older's words but remaining calm. 

Jisung crawled towards Chan's unwounded side, snuggling into their leader's arm.  
“Alright, I can do third watch!”, he murmured, already half asleep.  
“You guys do three watches, right?” 

Changbin saw the other leader smile at Jisung's sleepiness, before he gave an affirmative hum.  
“Yeah, we usually do three watches.”, he confirmed, voice gentle.  
“I'll give you Seungmin as a partner for third watch.”, he added, throwing the boy that was seated to his right a short look. 

His words were meant for Jisung's ears, but Changbin doubted that the younger omega had heard them for the boy was already snoring softly, relaxing into Chans embrace.  
Sheepishly, he threw Woojin an apologetic glance. 

“He'll find out when Hyunjin wakes him up!”, he mumbled to not wake the boys who were already sleeping peacefully.  
The alpha gave a quiet chuckle. 

“No worries!”, he reassured, rising to his feet and grabbing his own sheets.  
“We're all pretty tired!” 

With one last nod in Changbins direction and an unreadable one towards the freckled boy on his right, the other leader walked over to his two sleeping friends and placed his blanket right next to them before laying down and adding to the pile of boys.  
The healer, Seungmin, followed suit, snuggling up to his older brother like a little puppy, a sheet pulled over his head, hiding him from the rest of the world.

Soon, only soft snores filled the silence of the big room besides the silent crackling of the shrinking campfire. 

Carefully, Changbin pulled his shoulder out from under Hyunjin's head. The alpha gave a low whine, grabbing for his friend, but when the omega got up and pulled him towards the rest of their pack, the tall boy let go of Changbin and crawled up to Jisung, hugging the younger boy instead. 

They looked cozy and warm and once again, Chanbin wanted to give in to his desires and cuddle up to them too, but he restrained himself, instead grabbing the blanket Hyunjin and him had sat on to throw it over them to cover them up. 

Chan blinked drowsily.  
  
“Thanks, Binnie!”, he whispered, his dry lips forming a weak smile. It warmed Changbin's heart nonetheless and he silently bid them goodnight before slapping his cheeks a few times to get rid if his fatigue. 

He would protect his pack with everything he had. 

Turning towards the freckled boy, who had patiently waited for him at the exit leading to the staircase, he quickly rushed towards him, careful not to step on his friends while passing them.  


“Sorry for taking so long!”, he apologized when he was close enough to speak, his voice a mere whisper.  
  
The freckled boy smiled with eyes sparkling in the shine of the last flames of the campfire. 

“No problem.”, he replied just as quietly and once again, Changbin was mesmerized with how deep his voice actually was.  
  
“Shall we go now?” 

Changbin had almost missed the last question of the alpha but nodded quickly, following the boy up the steps that led into the upper parts of the building. 

Along the way, Changbin was astonished by the hugeness of the apartment-tower. It went up at least four stories, all connected through the long lithic staircase, that had suffered from years of being left alone.  
Fissures and tendrils twined themselves along the stone, making the omega wonder just how much longer the building would withstand the urge to crumble underneath their feet.

They passed many hallways, bristled with doors, all proudly showing off the rising numbers Changbin had already seen on the door of the medical room on the second store.  
They looked mysterious, like gates to other worlds, and a part of Changbin felt tempted to take off for an exploratory adventure. 

Although he wasn't exactly sure if he really wanted to know what these doors were hiding.  
A lot could grow during 80 years and he would rather live on to see the next day than die within the fangs of some kind of big-ass carnivorous plant.

When both boys finally reached the last steps, Changbin was already panting heavily.  
Running was one thing – although that wouldn't become one of his favorite activities either – but stairs were a whole different story! 

The alpha in front of him turned around, a knowing grin plastered on his face.  
  
“That was me, too, when I first came here and had to start going for watches!”, he laughed, his voice echoing a little from the walls around them.  
“Don't worry, you'll get used to it!” 

Then, he faced forward again and pushed against a wooden board that someone had placed over the exit as a makeshift-barricade, seeing as the original door was already gone. With a faint scraping noise it glided sideways, freeing the way onto a big platform. 

Felix went ahead, probably having seen the view a million times before, while Changbin followed a bit more reluctantly. But as soon as he stepped outside fully, his breath got caught in his throat from amazement. 

The square-shaped deck allowed him to overlook the whole clearing under them and even further beyond, over the treetops of the dark forest.  
At the horizon, the sky was still slightly brighter, indicating the setting of the sun not long ago. 

Against the darkening sky, Changbin could detect the shapes of more buildings and a crane, a little further away from them in the north and some scattered stars were already lighting up the night alongside the moon, now visible since the clouds had vanished over the evening. 

A little laugh bubbled up from within Changbin’s chest, dancing through the air as a clear sound, when a gush of wind hit him, ruffling up his hair.  
This was astonishing and he wished he could have shown it to Jisung.  
His younger friend had always loved being high up, looking down on the rest of the world and although Changbin knew, that in only a few hours, Jisung would see it too due to his watch, he wished he could have shared this experience with him at the same time. 

Being a part of Jisung's excitement never failed to make him smile and feel giddy inside as well.  
Especially since it had become so much rarer ever since last year!

A timid clearing of a throat interrupted Changbin's string of thoughts and reminded him of the presence of the other alpha.  
He sheepishly rubbed his nape. 

“Sorry, it's just very beautiful up here.”, he explained his stunned reaction. 

The freckled boy breathed a low chuckle.  
“I know, I reacted like that, too, the first time Jeongin brought me up here!”, he admitted, a slight smile tugging at his lips as if the memory was able to lift his mood even more.  
Then he turned around and focused his gaze on the clearing around the building.  
“We can't let our guard down though, even if we talk!” 

His voice suddenly sounded way more serious and Changbin understood, that this boy, no matter how carefree he seemed, knew of his responsibilities. 

Following suit, the omega, too, started scouting the area for possible intruders.  
  
The irony of the situation did not stay hidden from Changbin.  
  
Only yesterday he had been the one trying to break into the building, avoiding the guard's eyes and now he stood on top of the apartment-tower, scanning the clearing beneath them like a part of the pack he and his friends had tried to rob.  
He chuckled dryly.  
  
What a plot-twist!

For a long time that felt like eternity to Changbin, he and the other alpha didn't share one word, only silently fulfilling their task.  
Nothing happened, except for the slow wandering of the moon as the night went on and Changbin‘s eyes slowly began to droop shut every time he didn’t focus all his energy and concentration into staying conscious. Which was hard with his mind constantly slipping off to dream-like scenarios in his head, that tried to lure him into sleep.

Changbin heaved an inaudible sigh, as he forced his heavy eyelids back open for the umpteenth of times.  
  
The last two days had been harsh and eventful, including a lot of running, fighting and constant states of adrenaline.  
Now, his body really was reaching it‘s capabilities‘ end. But Changbin couldn’t just give in to his urges now.  
He had duties, responsibilities towards his pack that he wasn‘t allowed to ignore. His members were counting on him after all.  
  
So what Changbin needed right now, was a slight distraction, something that could keep him awake.  
  
As he shook his head slightly to fight the need to close his eyes, his gaze fell on his companion.  
  
Maybe he could go for smalltalk!  
  
Sure, the orange-haired boy behind him was technically his rival, but he doubted, that they could actually call each other that after everything that had happened.  
  
And after all, getting to know your potential enemy was never a bad idea, right?  
That thought in mind, he simply suppressed his doubts. 

“Have you guys been here for a long time?”  
  
His own voice sounded weird within the silence of the night and seemingly caught the other boy off guard.  
Changbin heard a surprised yelp behind him, before the alpha answered. 

“Three years  
  
His words were only a low murmur.  
  
“Well, at least Woojin-hyung and the others.” 

That statement made Changbin turn around to throw Felix a surprised glance.  
“You joined them later?”, he questioned with his eyes set on the alpha's back. 

Said boy nodded, before he hesitantly turned towards Changbin to return the omega's stare.  
  
“I came along around two years ago.”, he explained, sounding unsure of whether he should share such information about himself or not.  
Nonetheless, the alpha continued.  
  
“Woojin took me in when he found out that I was on my own.” 

Changbin nodded in understanding, as he focused back on the clearing. 

  
So this Felix-guy had been the last one to join. Just like Hyunjin.

“Did you grow up within the city?”, Changbin asked, only minutes later. He didn't want the other to think of him as nosy, but by now he craved some kind of interaction with another person and his fatigue didn't help matters. 

Besides that, the silence around them was deafening to his ears!

It sounded lonely!

To Changbin's luck, the freckled boy answered more willingly this time.  
“Yeah, I grew up in Seoul.”, he affirmed.  
“But I didn't go to school very long, which is why I can only read and write in my birth-language but not in the one we are speaking right now.” 

Again, Changbin turned around in surprise.  
“You can speak a different language?”, he asked, voice accidentally growing louder, which earned him a warning look from the alpha.  
Changbin mumbled a quick apology before going on.  
  
“Can you tell me something in your own language?”, he pleaded, while dutifully letting his eyes dart back to the ground to keep up his  
  
Chan knew how to speak another language as well and Changbin had always loved to listen to His leader‘s gentle voice whenever the blonde had sung some songs in his mother tongue. 

Maybe hearing Felix talk would dispel this pull in his chest, that wanted to drag him back to his pack members.  


Felix chuckled quietly.  
“Okay!”, he agreed before clearing his throat and starting to murmur soft words in a foreign language Changbin couldn't understand.  
But only seconds after the alpha had started, a faint gasp forced itself out from between Changbin's lips.  
It hadn‘t been intentional but he simply hadn‘t been able to stop his noise of surprise.  
It halted the orange-haired boy in his actions, however. 

“Is everything okay?”, Felix asked, back in their shared language, so Changbin could comprehend him.  
Changbin have a slight nod.  
He knew those words!  
Well, not entirely, but he was familiar with their sound. 

“Chan speaks the same language!”, he exclaimed.  
When he allowed his gaze to drift over to the alpha‘s figure once more, he found the other staring at him with widened eyes. 

“Your leader speaks my mother-tongue?”, the freckled boy questioned surprised, a faint glimmer of hope within his brown orbs.  
Changbin nodded in confirmation. 

“I'm pretty sure, I'm not mistaking!”

A wide grin, that cutely scrunched his nose up, plastered itself on the alpha's face, the whole boy seemingly beaming.  
  
“I need to ask him about that tomorrow!”, he exclaimed happily, before throwing a quick glance towards the bright circle of the moon that, by now, stood high above them.  
“I think, our watch is over!”, he added, a yawn forcing his mouth open. 

Relief washed over Changbin like fresh water on a hot day.  
The conversation with Felix had thankfully really helped him to stay awake but even with the distraction, his exhaustion was starting to take a toll on him and he honestly wasn't sure how much longer he would have been able to keep his attention upright. 

With one last look around the building, both boys exited the platform through the broken door.  
Changbin, walking behind Felix, halted his steps. 

“Do I have to close up the opening?”, he asked, eyes set on the board that leaned on the wall next to him, but the alpha in the front only shook his head. 

“Woojin and your friend will be up here in a few minutes, so it won't be necessary.”, he simply stated before continuing his walk down. 

Changbin followed him quickly, not wanting to stay behind all by himself.  
Solitude was not something he enjoyed, especially not at night and within an unfamiliar building.

When they finally reached the main hall again, Changbin was barely able to keep his eyes open.  
The prospect of being able to sleep had initiated a complete shut-down of his brain and left him running on auto-pilot. 

Mumbling a quiet 'goodnight' towards Felix, Changbin tumbled towards his friends, who lay in the very same place where he had left them.  
It almost pained him to have to wake up one of them, but Changbin knew he didn't have a choice. 

Felix on the other side of the burned-down campfire, that was only still glowing faintly, had already nudged his own leader awake, who was now busy peeling himself out of the pile of limbs and bodies he was caught up in. 

With a soft sigh, Changbin bowed down to Hyunjin who had snuggled up to Jisung within his slumber, and shook his packmate’s shoulder gently. 

“Hyunjinnie! It's time for your watch!”, he whispered, hoping that he wouldn't wake up Chan in the process as well.  
Jisung wouldn't even notice if Changbin would slap him, but his leader was a very light sleeper. 

Luckily, only the tall alpha stirred, scrunching up his peaceful expression before opening his sleep-drunk eyes.  
His unfocused gaze landed on Changbin and it took Hyunjin a few moments to make sense of the world, before realization dawned on his face. 

“Ah, the watch!”, he mumbled, voice low and raspy from his prior slumber.  
“How was it, Binnie?” 

“T'was good.”, Changbin replied, words slurred from exhaustion, as he tried hard to think back to his shift without allowing the fog in his mind to lull him to sleep before his conversation with Hyunjin was over.  
“No disturbances and the view's magnificent!” 

Hyunjin chuckled lowly.  
“You need to sleep, baby!”, he mocked, freeing his spot next to Jisung for Changbin to take, who wordlessly cuddled up to his pack-mates, sighing in relief when he finally got the skin-ship he had craved for the whole evening. 

  
He immediately felt better.

“M'not a baby!”, he objected, despite silently liking the pet-name, but his voice was already trailing off, his words coming out as slurred jumbles.  
The familiar scent of his pack-mates surrounded him like a comforting blanket and the warmth that radiated off Jisung's body was enough to finally give him the last push in sleep's direction. 

With a content hum, he drifted off, Hyunjin's whispered 'good night' being the last thing his ears took in before his mind fell into darkness.  
__________

Smiling to himself, Hyunjin rose to his feet, one hand grabbing the blanket, that was laying on top of his friends to cover Changbin up as well.  
The short boy had already fallen asleep, and the alpha couldn't really blame him, since the last time they all had slept, had been over 36 hours ago thanks to all that had happened these last two days.  
He himself was still tired, but nonetheless he felt a lot better after the few hours he had just spent in dreamland. 

Quietly, Hyunjin turned around, making his way across the hall towards the already waiting leader of the other pack.  
  
His stomach began churning nervously in the face of the upcoming watch he had to spent with the other alpha, alone, without anyone with him, who could have eased both of their inner wolves. 

Yet Hyunjin kept his unbothered facial expression as he stepped up to the other leader. 

Said boy gave him a reassuring smile.  
  
“Don't worry, I’d like to call myself a lot less aggressive as other alpha's, Minho included.”, he murmured calmly, as if he head read Hyunjin‘s thoughts, before leading the way. Hyunjin followed wordlessly. 

He secretly hoped to be able to spent his watch quietly without having to participate in any small-talk.

  
No conversation meant there was little he could do to upset the other and as peaceful the other leader seemed, Hyunjin had learned not to trust first impressions.  


When they stepped outside on the deck of the building after ascending the many stairs, Hyunjin realized what Changbin had been talking about when he had told him that the view was magnificent.   
He had to admit, it truly was.  
  
Allowing a small smile to break his monotone mask for a second, Hyunjin assessed their watch-spot.  
  
Jisung would love if up here!

“We can talk, as long as we don't let our guard down!”, the older alpha exclaimed in that moment. He was standing a few steps away from Hyunjin, eyes already set on the area around the building. 

The words made Hyunjin swallow heavily as his hopes for a quiet watch got crushed underneath them, but nonetheless, Hyunjin gave an affirmative hum, before he began scanning the ground on the opposite side of the apartment-tower than Woojin was watching.

Silence settled over them, and Hyunjin dared to raise his expectations, but not long after, the other leader cleared his throat to speak. 

“If it's alright with you, I'd like to ask you some questions!”, he stated, his tone sounding cautious.  
“You don't have to answer whenever you don't want to share that kind of information, that's okay, I won't push!” 

The fearful churning of Hyunjin's stomach, that had been there ever since the start of his watch, grew stronger.  
He really didn't want to rile the other alpha up. Only the heavens and he himself knew how bad such things could end.   
But he couldn't just give him information about his pack-mates either!  
  
  
Insecure in between his two not very appealing options, Hyunjin gave a small 'sure' to let the other continue in the hope the questions wouldn't be too personal. 

Maybe the other leader wanted to find their weakness?  
But as soon as that thought crossed Hyunjins mind, he threw it away again.  
The foreign pack had helped them even though they could have just let them die.  
Or at least Chan.  
  
What sense would it make to bring four strangers into their home and help them, just to kill them right after?

Woojin seemed to sense his inner struggle, as he chuckled lowly in a soothing manner.  
  
“Relax, you have no obligation to answer!”, he repeated before asking his first question.  
“Were you born in the city?” 

Shortly, Hyunjin hesitated, but then he shook his head lightly to get rid of his suspicion.  
There was no harm if the other leader knew, where they came from.  
It wasn't like they had anything left to loose beside each other. 

So he answered truthfully. 

“Chan-hyung, Changbin and I were born and raised in Seoul.”  
  
His voice sounded fragile and quiet within the silence of the night around them, but Woojin seemed to hear him nonetheless. 

“What about your youngest, Jisung?”, he questioned, ignoring the other's lack of honorifics with Changbin's name, that Hyunjin had mentioned.  
Probably he had forgotten already, that the tall alpha was younger. Or maybe, he didn't care about honorifics as much as Chan did.

Hyunjin shook his head out of reflex, despite the older not being able to see the gesture. 

“Sungie escaped from a pack many miles away from here.”, he explained, carefully picking his words to not accidentally say something that was better left unsaid.  
“Chan-hyung found him during one of his patrols.” 

Woojin kept quiet for a few minutes, both boys fulfilling their task silently, until the older alpha spoke up again. 

“How did Chan get that injury?” 

Fear pierced Hyunjin‘s heart like a dagger, causing him to flinch.  


The words hung in the air, weighing heavily on his shoulders and threatened to suffocate him.  
  
He should have known, should have predicted that this question was unavoidable. 

Hyunjin wanted to answer, wanted to submit to the other leader's stronger inner wolf, wanted to display the truth openly just to not having to hide it anymore.  
But he remained quiet.  
This was not his story to tell. At least not alone and not here! 

“I'm sorry!”, he whispered, scared of how the older would react to his refusal.  
“But I can't tell you that just yet!” 

He closed his eyes, focusing on his advanced sense of smell to be able to reek any kind of change within the other alpha's scent that could warn him of an angry outburst or something similar.   
But to his surprise, nothing happened.  
  
Carefully he opened his eyes again to throw the other leader a cautious look over his shoulder. 

His gaze met Woojin's, who, again, was smiling softly.

“It's okay!”, the older reassured, holding his hands up in surrender to show Hyunjin that he wasn't looking for a fight.  
“If you don't want to tell me, then you don't, I respect that!” 

Confused, Hyunjin lowered his tense shoulders while his churning stomach calmed down a bit out of simple surprise.  
  
“You're not mad?” 

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself and he pressed his lips together in shock. 

A slight frown appeared on Woojin's face.  
It unnerved Hyunjin way more than the older‘s smile.   
  
“No, why would I be mad because of that?” 

Nervously, Hyunjin lowered his head as his guts picked up their squirming once more.   
He still remembered all the times he had received blows and kicks for every word he had uttered against the ones stronger than him, very vividly.

“Because I went against you, even though you are older and more powerful!”, he mumbled silently.   
Maybe admitting to it would save him?

Apparently not.  


Soft steps against concrete could be heard, slowly getting closer to him and Hyunjin cowered in fear and the expectation of a hit.  
  
Sure, he knew how to defend himself, his friends often practiced his combat skills with him, but under no circumstances could he fight against the leader of the pack that had helped them and gave them shelter.  
That would impose a threat to his friends!

But before Hyunjin could loose himself within his dark fearful thoughts, a warm hand settled itself on his arm. It made him flinch, before the fingers started rubbing soft soothing circles into his skin.  
  
Slowly, his panting breath evened itself out again.   
Hyunjin hadn't even noticed his pulse rising. 

When he had calmed himself enough again to be able to look up, his widened eyes met Woojin's warm brown ones.  
The alpha was standing right in from of him. 

“Are you okay again?”, the leader asked, concern laced in his voice.  
  
Hyunjin nodded timidly.   
Although his nose now very distinctively told him, that Woojin was being genuine, a part of him found it hard to believe this newfound peace.

“Alright, can you listen to me for a second?”, the other leader continued asking, voice still soft.  
  
Again, Hyunjin moved his head up and down. 

Not like he would plan on defying the other in any way, as long as he could avoid it! 

Woojin hummed before speaking up again.  
“I don't know what kind of experiences you had in the past.”, he began, gaze earnest.  
“But I can promise you that within this pack, no one will ever hurt you, especially not for simply having a different opinion or will!”  
  
He gave Hyunjin's arm a gently squeeze.  
  
“So stay true to yourself, you have a mind of your own. Be proud to be an alpha!” 

These words said, the older stepped back, out of Hyunjin's personal space and continued scanning the clearing around the building as if nothing had happened. 

Hyunjin took in a deep breath.  
This kind of reaction he had never seen once in his life!  
Or maybe he had. One single time.  
When Chan had picked him up back then.  
  
In his chest he could feel trust starting to grow like a tiny flickering flame, that had ignited way too easily for his taste. 

Woojin really was one of the first alpha's he had met, that hadn't answered his defiance with violence and, truth be told, Hyunjin was very grateful for that.  
Maybe this pack was one they didn't have to fear so much? 

Mumbling a low 'thank you', Hyunjin focused his own gaze back on the dark area on the ground.  
  
He knew   
He couldn’t trust the other leader that easily. It would only end like last time, when he had dared to let his guard down.   
  
Nonetheless, he wished.   
Hyunjin prayed with all his might, that he was wrong. That this pack was okay to have more faith in.   
  
Hopefully, his expectations weren't too high for this ruthless world to fulfill them!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who cares or is interested in any way: i made a spotify playlist for this book with all the Songs that i listened to while writing Scenes/ creating them within my head. I basically made up Music Videos in my mind, so yeah, if you guys wanna give it a look, it's called: "Leo's book: StrayKids"
> 
> See u guys in a week!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's official, i really suck at keeping update-scedules!  
> I'm sorry for being this unrelieably, but my mum's birthday is tomorrow and i dont wanna hang out in front of my Computer on that day, so i decided to upload the new chapters one day Prior.
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading it and that you all stay save and healthy!

The faint sound of singing birds woke Woojin up.  
Lazily he blinked before opening his eyes fully, taking in his surroundings.  


Gray light filtered in through the back exit, where some of the windows of the building were located, and cast a dim twilight over the entire hall.  
The fire was only glowing coals by now, behind which Woojin could make out the pile that consisted of the members of the foreign pack.  
  
He himself was laying on the sheets his own pack had slept on, sandwiched between Minho and Seungmin, with the latter having his arm slung around his middle.  


With a small smile on his lips at Seungmin‘s fluffy bed-hair, Woojin pealed himself out of his brother’s embrace to carefully stand up as to not wake any of his still resting friends.  
  
Nonetheless Minho‘s cat-like eyes opened a split to dart around. When the alpha’s gaze fell on Woojin, he sleepily rubbed his face with both hands before sitting up, an incomprehensible mumble leaving his lips. 

Mockingly, Woojin ruffled Minho's hair, which he earned himself a low growl with, before he took a big step over Seungmin's sleeping form and snuck away towards the entrance of the room. 

While passing the foreign packs resting-place, he couldn’t help the urge to throw a quick glance towards the face of their leader.  
  
The boy appeared a lot more peaceful than he had yesterday, and with his blond hair framing his pale features, he looked a lot younger, too.  
  
Chan.  
  
Woojin really wondered, what it was that had been haunting this weird alpha and his pack.  
However, since he had seen the tall guy from the other group panic because of his try to get behind all this, Woojin was pretty much sure, that obtaining that kind of information would be anything but easy.  
  
Taking a second to search for any sign that the blond was already awake, Woojin slowed his strides, but the eyelids of the boy were still closed and his breathing deep and even.  
Therefore, Woojin simply continued his way down the stairs and out of the building while he tried to forget the questions occupying his mind for the moment. 

The fresh air of the morning hit his nose, as he stepped outside, his bare feet coming in contact with the grass.  
The green blades were wet with dew and bright rays of sunlight shone down on the clearing around him, warming up Woojin's body where they met his skin. 

Early morning mist was hanging above some parts of the field, reminding the alpha that fall was already knocking on the world's door again, waiting to be let in so it could blow the colorful leaves from the trees and turn the nights cold and chilly. 

Woojin heaved a small sigh, when another issue rose to the forefront of his mind.  
The upcoming colder season.  
They had already survived several winters out here already, and he knew, they would live through another one as well, but life was considerably harder when the northwind threatened to freeze off your fingers and the days were only half as long as during summer.  
Especially getting enough wood for the fire and finding prey to hunt were things that proved themselves difficult when snow would start to cover the nature around them. 

However, Woojin stopped himself in his process of thought at that point.  
They would have to build up stocks soon, but that wasn't today.  
Today, they only had to hunt down something to fill their stomachs for the next two days.

He would have enough time to worry about the upcoming winter soon enough, when he would need his shoes in the morning again to comfortably walk to the stream and back.

Arms stretching over his head, Woojin strolled over the clearing towards the faint gurgling of the stream that ran through the forest.  
  
He loved mornings, as well as being awake a little earlier than his friends and he was pretty sure, that Jeongin was up as well, probably running around somewhere in the attempt to catch a rabbit or climb a tree.  
Their youngest was the only one, who always woke up at the dusk of dawn as well and even earlier than Woojin himself.

As Woojin got closer to the water, splashing noises confirmed his theory. 

There, within the ruffled waves of the stream, stood Jeongin, hair wet and skin reddened from the cold, as he washed himself while his clothes waited laid out on some dry stones nearby.  
Laughing, Woojin waved a small greeting. 

“Aren't you freezing to death?”, he shouted over the splashing and rushing, as he tried to roll up his black pants to be able to wade a few steps into the clear water as well.  
  
They were lucky, that this stream wasn't one of those that had been polluted during the war.  
Or at least, now, over 80 years later, it was clean enough for them to use.

But on the other hand, Woojin hadn‘t seen all too many spoiled water sources in his life.  
He had never been to the sea, and the only big river he had encountered so far, had been the one leading straight through Seoul.  
That water they always had to heat up before being able to drink it, but other than that, it had been fine.  
And out here, in the wilderness of the land, most streams seemed to be fresh.

Jeongin flashed him a wide grin in return to his comment.  
  
“You're just too wimpy, hyung!”, he teased with a devilish glint sparkling in his fox-like eyes.  
“It's really refreshing! You should come in, too!” 

Woojin growled playfully at the younger's insult, but he couldn‘t deny the truth in Jeongin‘s words either.  
He really wasn’t very fond of cold water.  
  
Nonetheless, it probably wasn‘t the worst idea to follow his packmate‘s suggestion.  
  
True, the water would surely be a little chilly for his taste, but the sweat from last day's hunt still clung to his skin and made him feel sticky in a rather appalling way.  
  
Grabbing the hem of his sweater to pull it over his head, Woojin rid himself of the clothing.  
His pants followed shortly after, being thrown onto the same rocks, Jeongin had left his clothes on as well before he began wading into the stream. 

The nights out were already chilly enough to allow ripe to cover the world on some mornings and therefore, the stream was no exception either when it came to low temperatures.  
  
As soon as Woojin's waist touched the flowing water, he breathed out a sharp hiss, when the wet coldness embraced his legs and seemingly eliminated every ounce of warm blood within them.  
  
“Just a little refreshing...”, he repeated Jeongin‘s prior words dryly as soon as he was able to breathe normally again without the cold forcing him to gasp for air. 

Jeongin appeared right in front of him and let out a bemused snicker.  
  
“It really isn't that bad!”, he giggled, splashing Woojin with the cold liquid which forced a shriek out of the older's chest. 

“My butt is freezing off!”, he complained in return.  
  
By now, he had already lost the feeling within his whole lower body.  
That way, he at least didn't feel the sharp stones that poked his feet, but that was about the only positive part of this bath that Woojin decided, he had agreed on too quickly. 

Jeongin, who was wheezing by now, took a few steps backwards, sinking into the deeper part of the stream until only his head was sticking out.  
The sight alone let Woojin shudder.  
  
“Stop whining, hyung!”, the younger gasped out between fits of laughter, moving his arms to keep himself afloat.  
“This is nothing compared to the temperatures we have to deal with during winter!” 

“True!”, Woojin grumbled.  
  
They really already had had worse to deal with. That didn’t make Woojin‘s current situation any more comfortable though.  
  
He heaved out a resigned sigh, before pulling himself together, holding his breath and stepping forward into the deeper water where he was barely able to stand.  
  
Immediately, the cold knocked the air out of his lungs when the waves closed above his head and locked him into their freezing embrace.  
It made him feel dizzy for a second, the waters weight seemingly breaking against his ribs he, before he regained his composure and broke through the surface again, coughing because of some water he had swallowed. 

“This is way too cold!”, he decided as his hands rubbed up and down the skin on his arms that he could feel, was already covered in goosebumps.  
“How do fish even survive?” 

Next to him, Jeongin was laughing his ass off, but he, too, had blue lips and was shivering from the cold. 

“Come on, lets go back!”, Woojin decided to cut things short after he quickly had scrubbed his whole body over to get himself clean.  
  
He knew, Jeongin didn‘t always notice immediately, when his body had had too much and he really didn’t need the younger alpha catching a cold now.  
  
To set an example - and to get out of the water as quickly as possible himself - Woojin began wading out of the stream again.  
The soles of his feet were completely numb to the usual slight pain of walking over gravel by now.  
  
Luckily, Jeongin followed him immediately, seating himself on a stone where the sun could reach him and dry his cooled down body. 

“Have you slept well?”, Woojin asked, as he took the shirt he had worn underneath his sweater and ruffled his own hair with it to dry the dripping strands off.  
He would wash it afterwards anyways. 

Jeongin nodded in obvious satisfaction.  
  
“Like a log!”, he affirmed, gaze focusing on a butterfly that had landed on a flower not far away from him and which seemed to be enjoying the sun's warmth as well.  
“What are we gonna do today, hyung?” 

Normally, Woojin was the one, who planned their days, based on what needed to be done.  
Sometimes Minho gave his input as well, but most of the time, the final decision was on Woojin.  
  
It had been pressuring in the beginning, but by now, he had grown used to the questioning stares of his packmates. 

Contemplating his options in his mind, Woojin walked over to the water again with his shirt in his hand to dunk it into the stream and start washing the smell of sweat out of it.  
  
They would need new food, so a hunting party would be a must.  
Also, since the leader of the other pack was still injured, he would need someone to look after him, whether he wanted to or not.  
  
“We need to go hunting or we won't have anything to eat tonight!”, he finally answered Jeongin before wringing his wet shirt out.  
  
“But if it's okay with you, I'd like you to stay here for today, along with Seungmin.”  
  
He rose to his feet again, placing his washed shirt on a more or less clean alluvial trunk that lay to his left, before taking his sweater and repeating the process.  
  
“Someone needs to stay with Chan and protect the building.” 

Jeongin hummed in agreement.  
“Sure!” 

He hopped off his stone and followed Woojin's example of washing his shirt.  
“Whom are you gonna take with you on the hunt?”, Jeongin asked after a few seconds of silence, while his hands were busy. 

Thinking this question over as well, Woojin slipped back into his pants.  
  
“I thought of asking Minho.”, he then explained, his hand going through his still damp hair.  
  
Of course he would.  
It wasn’t even a question. Minho always went hunting with him.  
  
“And maybe two of the other pack-members want to join us? They seem determined to not let us pamper them.” 

Memories of his watch from the last night flooded his mind once more.  
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the petrified expression the tall alpha had worn when he denied Woojin an answer to his question about the other leader's injury.

These boys had without a doubt seen their fair share of the cruelty of this world. 

Jeongin's words interrupted his string of thoughts.  
  
“What is gonna happen with them, hyung?”  
  
The younger boy‘s widened eyes were fixated on Woojin. 

Woojin sighed.  
If only he knew.  
  
“I‘m not sure, Innie!”, he answered truthfully.  
“But I do know that I can't just kick them out again.”  
  
He frowned, gaze lowered to the floor, examining some stones.  
  
There was a repulsed tug in his chest as he shortly considered the other pack leaving  
His inner wolf gave out several unamused huffs.  
Apparently, it wasn‘t agreeing with the mere thought of that happening.  
  
“And actually, I don't want to either?”, Woojin finally added, voice low. 

He pronounced it as a question, but when his wolf‘s presence eased down in satisfactory warmth, Woojin knew, his statement had hit home.

He wasn't sure, how his friends, as well as their own inner wolves thought about this whole situation, but to his luck, Jeongin hummed in approval.  
  
“I kinda like them!”, the younger boy admitted, a smile on his face.  
“Especially the tall one! He played with me and Seungminnie-hyung yesterday!” 

Chuckling in relief, Woojin allowed the corners of his lips to lift.  
  
“Yeah, Hyunjin is a sweetheart!”, he agreed before looking around to check whether he had forgotten anything. 

A stupid gesture. As if any of them owned anything more than their clothes. 

“Alright, Innie, let's go back!”, he suggested, breaking off their conversation that way before starting to climb up the acclivity of the stream again.  
  
Jeongin followed him, hands closed around his washed shirt, just like Woojin, and pants back in place. 

They were about to cross the clearing towards the building, when suddenly, Woojin caught ahold of an unusual sight in the sky out of the corners of his eyes.  
He raised his head. 

On the blue horizon, huge cloud-chains were forming, seemingly drifting towards them like a threatening wall.  
Their edges were already tinted a deeper grey. 

Jeongin, who had followed his line of vision, made a surprised noise.  
  
“A storm at this time of the year?”, he asked bewildered, gaze switching to Woojin.  
  
It was indeed unusual.  
Normally, the heavier storms all happened during the time when the heat of summer still lingered around the apartment-tower.  
  
Woojin shrugged his shoulders. 

There was no time to question this now. If there was something that Woojin had learned very early on, then it was the fact, that questioning or even criticizing nature had no point.  
Out here you only accepted and tried your best to adapt!  


“Seems like it!”, he exclaimed slowly, as his face contorted into a slight frown.  
“That means we have to hurry with our tasks! Once the storm hits, we won't be able to go outside anymore.” 

Jeongin nodded.  
  
„Better be done sooner!“, he agreed before suddenly letting out a yell, that almost startled Woojin half to death.  
  
“Let's hurry then!”  
  
Bolting past Woojin he ran towards the entrance of the apartment-tower, hair flipping and slight giggles trailing after him just like his excitement-filled scent. 

A competitive fire lit up within Woojin‘s chest, the moment he had progressed his shock, as well as Jeongin‘s intentions.  


“Hey, that was a jump start!”, he shouted before sprinting after the younger boy, who made no attempt to stop his run.  
  
They had a lot to do! Jeongin was right.  
Better get started!  
__________

Changbin was one of those people still asleep, that got figuratively catapulted out of the land of dreams, when Woojin and Jeongin bolted into the main hall, accompanied by laughing and panting, which was loud enough to scare the crows nestling outside, off the building's roof. 

Next to him, Changbin could feel Chan flinch as well, groaning lowly, when the action assumably put a stretch to his wound. 

Grumbling, the buff omega rubbed his eyes.  
  
“Fucking heavens, you guys scared the hell out of me!”, he complained with another grunt, as he pointed at the two boys with what he hoped was a somewhat threatening gesture. 

Only then, in the movement of his action, did Changbin notice, that one of the arrivals was the other pack's leader.  
Both of them were only dressed halfway, their torsos bare, just like their feet.  
  
Realization tickling the back of his mind, Changbin pulled his hand back, as if he had burned himself and quickly lowered his head. 

That had been very disrespectful behavior and although he would never face consequences for anything of the like in his own pack, Changbin was not sure, how the other leader would take his rash actions.  


“Sorry, I was just surprised!”, he tried to make his words sound less sharp.  
  
But to his relief, the alpha - Woojin - only laughed. 

“It's okay, Changbin, you're right, we shouldn't have burst into the room like that.”, he admitted after finally having regained his posture.  
His well-nurtured body held itself with a certain pride that Changbin couldn’t seem to look past.  
It radiated a strength that The omega had learned to fear since the last year.  
  
“We were just racing each other and got carried away!” 

Woojin took in a deep breath, hand going through his freshly washed hair, that only made Changbin more aware of his own sweaty skin and clothes. 

Then, the other leader‘s expression gained on seriousness.

“We need to make a decision about today's duties!”, he stated with his gaze back on Changbin.  
  
“I'll get everyone, then we can discuss matters.” 

Changbin didn’t even try to protest and only nodded in agreement. Woojin was right! There were a few things that needed planning.

As the leader and the younger alpha he had been with, walked off, probably to get themselves new shirts, since Changbin had seen the wet lumps within the two arrivals hands, the omega turned his attention to his right, where Chan was lying. 

His friend had his eyes closed, but Changbin knew for a fact, that the blond was awake.  
He had seen his fingers twitch from the corner of his vision during his talk with Woojin and judging by the way Chan had flinched at the arrival of the two boys from before, it hadn’t just been an accidental movement during his sleep.

“Morning Chan!”, he teased, a faint smile ghosting over his lips at the simple fact, that he was able to still say those words.  
Things could have ended a lot differently, if it hadn’t been for this other pack and their healer.  
  
“How are you feeling?” 

Chan frowned before blinking drowsily, his long bangs sticking to his lashes.  
Heavily he let out a breath through his nose. 

“Well, my eyebrows don't hurt!”, he then grumbled, yet flashing Changbin a small grin.  
It was almost painfully familiar to Changbin.  
  
“Guess that was to be expected, though.” 

Frowning himself, Changbin raised the blond's gray shirt, that smelled strongly of that Woojin-guy, to look at the bandages wrapped around Chan's middle.  
None of them were tinted red through leaking blood though and he allowed himself a small sigh of relief.  
But should Chan be in this much pain? The wound was stitched back together after all, wasn’t it?

“Your injuries seem fine!”, he murmured thoughtfully while carefully putting the shirt back in place.  
  
“But maybe you should let their healer look over it once more, just to be sure!” 

Chan gave a soft chuckle.  
  
“Relax, Binnie!”, he mumbled, eyes closing again.  
  
Despite his carefree demeanor, Changbin could clearly extinguish the exhaustion and the grim fear from Chan‘s features.   
They simply clung to him like sticky shadows, always seemingly darkening the edges of his face a bit.  
  
Chan gave another breathy laugh, that sounded more like he was gathering strength for his next words.  
  
“Besides, I'm pretty sure that it won't be possible to keep Seungmin away from my wound.”  
  
He added a weak snort, that made him grimace right after, from the strain it probably put on his wounds.  
  
“That boy is a real doctor by heart!” 

Sighing, Changbin let his tense shoulders sag.  
Chan was right.  
They were in good hands for now. Nothing bad would happen anymore.  
  
After all, she should be satisfied by now, shouldn’t she?

“Where are Hyunjin and Jisung by the way?”, Chan asked in that moment, brows furrowed in obvious worry.  
“I can't smell them within the room!” 

Almost thankful for the distraction, Changbin raised his head to peer around the main hall. 

Woojin had vanished through one of the back-exits, along with the maknae of the group.  
Other than himself and Chan, only two more people were present within the hall.

The freckled boy that had been on watch with him, who had lain down on his own a few meters away from everyone.  
Probably to find some sleep away from the pile of bodies that his pack's resting-place had been. 

And a lump beneath the sheets of the other pack's makeshift bed, under which Changbin assumed the healer, Seungmin.  
Both boys seemed asleep to Changbin's surprise, despite the prior noise. 

No one else could be seen and Changbin shook his head in denial, when he turned his attention back to Chan. 

“They're not here!”, he confirmed, yet for the first time in a felt eternity, that realization didn‘t spark fear within him.  
  
“But if you ask me, Jisung's in his new favorite spot and Hyunjin is out, washing himself at the stream.” 

“His new favorite spot?" 

Chan sounded confused.  
Of course, since he hadn't been on watch last night, due to his injury. 

“The platform on top of the storage building.”, Changbin explained smiling.  
“The view is magnificent from up there!” 

Chan gave a knowing laugh.  
The blond knew just as well as Changbin about Jisung‘s love for high places.  
Probably even better, since he was the one, who always had to chase after their dongsaeng‘s ass, whenever the younger disregarded all possible risks once more to go on another one of his climbing-adventures.  
  
Not that such prevention-attempts had all too much of a success rate, that was worth mentioning.  
Jisung was one unstoppable squirrel.  
  
“So he's up again!”, Chan also mumbled, more to himself, than to Changbin before his dark eyes gained a rather bemused spark, that Changbin hadn‘t seen all too often since last year.  
  
“Well, at least from up there, he can't really fall, unless he behaves over-the-top-stupidly!”

Changbin snorted dryly at that statement.  
  
“As if that would be such an impossible task for Jisung!”, he countered while swiping the bangs out of his face, that had fallen into his eyes.  
His beanie had bid his head goodbye during the night, laying next to Chan's head on the sheets they had been sleeping on. 

“True!”, Chan agreed ruefully. 

In that moment, Changbin caught sense of Jisung's fresh scent.  
Like a breeze of wind, it hit his nose and danced around his head.  
  
“Speaking of the devil!”, he mumbled, gaze set on the entrance to the staircase, from where haste steps could be heard that were quickly closing in. 

Only seconds later, Jisung bolted into the room, hair disheveled and eyes sparkling, with a wide grin plastered across his face. 

“Changbinnie-hyung, Channie-hyung!”, he yelled, feet carrying him over the stony floor hurriedly to fling himself at Changbin, since Chan couldn't receive any hugs at the moment due to obvious reasons. 

Changbin groaned at the impact, when the younger boy landed on him, elbow and knees hitting places, that Changbin was sure he would still feel even tomorrow. 

“Sungie, you're crushing my spleen!”, he croaked out from underneath his friend. 

But instead of Jisung, a different voice piped up, hoarse and sleepy.  
  
“You don't even know where your spleen is!”   
  
The omega from the other pack grumbled before sitting up within his pile of blankets.   
Despite his obvious lack of sleep and amusement, he still managed to look like a little puppy.

Envy nibbles at Changbin‘s heart, when he took in the cute appearance of the younger.   
He himself had always wished to look more like that, frailer and more delicate.   
  
More like the typical omega.   
  
But someone seemingly had had other plans for him by blessing him with a sharp stare and a bulky body. 

It had come in handy back when he had still been with his parents, but after Chan had picked him up, Changbin had started to relent to his secret desire to live up to his rather affectionate inner wolf.

“Of course I know, where it is!”, he defended against the healers verbal attack, despite not being entirely sure about the whereabouts of the irgan in question.  
But it was somewhere within his body, and since he wasn't very big, the chances of him pointing at the wrong place where slightly slimmer than they would have been for someone as tall as Hyunjin. 

His opponent scoffed.  
  
“Sure you do!”, he muttered, stifling a yawn. 

“Why the fuck are you even up already?”, he then directed his speech at Jisung, who peeled himself off Changbin's chest to sit up, letting the older breathe freely again. 

If Changbin remembered correctly, the healer had been on the last watch together with Jisung.

“I was up at the platform until now!”, Jisung exclaimed, smile still big.  
“It was amazing!” 

Seungmin looked at him in something that could be considered a mix of disbelief and slight disgust.  
  
“Oh great, a second Jeongin!”, he then groaned before letting himself fall back into his blanket-fort. 

“Sleep is the amazing thing that all of you do not appreciate enough!”, he added with a through fabric muffled voice.

Jisung giggled in response.  
  
“Sure, sure!”, he agreed, before focusing his attention back on his pack-mates.  
  
“Channie-hyung, you really need to go up there as soon as you are able to move again!”, he stated, eyes set on his leader, who hummed in approval. 

“I will!”, the blond promised the energetic boy, lifting one arm to ruffle Jisung's brown hair.

Bold words for someone, who Changbin could tell, had trouble with executing even such a small gesture.  


In that moment, Hyunjin entered through the main door, hair still damp from being washed and carrying the bucket, Changbin had already seen the day before, filled with water. 

Staggering under the weight, the tall alpha made his way towards them where he put the bucket down as gently as possible.   
Nonetheless, a little of the water spilled.   
  
Hyunjin flashed them a soft grin, his eyes setting themselves on Chan. 

“I brought water!”, he remarked superfluously as he crouched down next to Chan and Jisung and opposite Changbin.  
“Anyone thirsty?” 

Only now did Changbin realize his crave for something to drink.  
None of them had cared to get water the evening before, sleep having been their first priority.   
Now however, Changbin suddenly got very aware of the dryness of his throat.

He rose to his feet, crossing the hall towards the shelf where the meat had been stored and grabbed one of the small bowls that were placed there along with other stuff, before walking back and handing it to Hyunjin, settling down again. 

The alpha filled it, while Jisung held Chan‘s head up for him to drink, so the blond wouldn't have to use the muscles within his stomach to sit himself up. 

“I feel like a baby!”, Chan grumbled, as soon as he was done.  
  
Jisung grinned, taking a sip from the water as well. 

“So for now, it's Baby-Channie instead of Baby-Changbin!”, he mocked, throwing a glimpse towards the buff omega next to him while handing him the cup.

Changbin unconsciously pushed his lips into a pout.  
He had gained the nickname, because despite his appearance, he was the most childish and affectionate one, who loved being spoiled.   
Loosing his status just like that was not something he wanted to accept. 

Chan seemed to want to protest too. 

“Nah, Changbin can keep that title!”, he chuckled, his fingers wrapping around Changbin's neck to scratch his nape gently, a gesture they all knew he enjoyed greatly. 

Now, too, he hummed blissfully at the touch. 

“Aww, there he goes, our baby Changbin!”, Hyunjin joined the teasing, but Changbin ignored him as he silently filled the cup within his hand with water again and appeased his thirst.   
He enjoyed all of this and was happy that none of them were judging him.  
Neither for his preferences and his character, nor for his appearance.

Quick steps from the other side of the room made all of them look up to catch Woojin and Jeongin entering the room again, this time fully clothed.  
Not far behind trailed the other alpha, Minho, who too was wearing a different shirt than the day before. 

They headed straight for Changbin and his friends and wordlessly settled down beside them, forming the beginnings of a circle, leaving it up to the three boys to finish it.   
  
Felix and Seungmin didn't let themselves be disturbed through the little meeting that was taking place not far from them, and since none of other pack‘s members seemed to mind, Changbin stopped glancing in the direction of the two Still sleeping boys. 

“Have all of you slept well?”, Woojin opened their conversation, eyes set on Chan, who returned his gaze. 

“Yes we did, thank you very much!”, he answered. His voice wasn't as fragile and hoarse as it had been the last evening and although, his exhaustion was still traceable in his tone, he was sounding more like the leader Changbin remembered him as.  
  
It gave him a sense of security and he straightened his back a little, fixing his slumped posture. 

The other leader seemed to notice the change within Chan's voice, too, as he respectfully nodded. 

“We have to get new food, since we're all out!”, he then explained, sharing a look with the older alpha next to him.  
“Minho and I wanted to go hunting. Does any of you want to join us?” 

Immediately, Jisung's hand shot up, but Changbin grabbed it and pushed it back down.  
  
“Me and Hyunjin will help!”, he stated, expression determined, as he looked towards Chan for approval, who nodded. 

Jisung gave a long whine.  
  
“Why can't I come?”, he pouted, lips pushed forward and eyes widened into his pleading puppy-stare directed at Changbin.  
“You know, that I am able to hunt, hyung!” 

Changbin rolled his eyes.  
“Because today we actually need to catch something so we won't have to go to sleep hungry and so we can make up our debt to the pack that is supporting us right now!”, he explained, sharing a knowing glance with Hyunjin next to him. 

They both knew, how easily distracted Jisung got during hunts.  
Sure, he was fast and good at finding clues that led to prey, but he was also impatient and too energetic, often scaring animals away due to a perfectly-timed yell or the crack of a overlooked twig beneath his shoe. 

Sulkily, Jisung crossed his arms, though knowing exactly, why he wasn't allowed to come.  
  
“Then what am I supposed to do?”, he muttered.  
“Sit around and wait?” 

“Sounds good to me!”, the alpha named Minho retorted, earning himself a death-glare from the younger omega, but before a fight could break out, Woojin chimed in again. 

“We always leave at least two people behind to guard the building!”, he explained, eyes set on Jisung.  
“But for today, I wanted Seungmin and Jeongin to do that, since Seungmin has to talk with your leader.”  
His gaze flickered over to Chan again.  
“If that is alright with you!”, he added, words now directed at the blond. 

Chan nodded.  
  
“Sure, it's not like I can be of any help at the moment anyway!”, he answered. His voice tinted bitter at the end. 

For the first time during this conversation, the youngest alpha opened his mouth to speak.  
  
“Don't worry hyung!”, he reassured Chan.  
“You will be up and helping in no time again!” 

He flashed the surprised Chan a toothy grin.  
  
“And in the meantime, you can tell me stories! Woojinnie-hyung has already told me everything he knows!” 

Woojin threw his younger friend an offended look.  
  
“I haven't told you _everything_ I know!”, he defended himself.  
“You've only been with us most of the time so there is not much you haven't seen or experienced for yourself!” 

Jeongin waved him off, gaze still set on Chan.  
“Yeah, what hyung said!”, he agreed, followed by a sulking snort from the older alpha. 

Chan smiled.   
The first real smile, how Changbin noticed upon the visibility of his friend‘s dimples.  
  
“Well, I guess I know some stories!”, he gave in, apparently having fallen for the younger boy's cute face. 

Changbin sighed.  
His leader had always had a weakness for children. He would make a great dad in the omega's opinion. 

Delighted Jeongin clapped his hands together.  
  
“Great, I'll tell Seungminnie-hyung!”, he cheered, jumping to his feet and leaving the circle, only to throw himself at the still sleeping healer, who gave a petrified shriek when the weight of the younger landed on his form. 

Snorting, Jisung shook his head.  
“Poor Seungminnie!”, he mumbled dryly, as if he hadn't done the exact same thing to Changbin only minutes ago.  
Then he focused back on the topic. 

“What does that mean for me?”, he asked Woojin, eyes narrowed slightly. 

The latter shrugged his shoulders.  
“Guess you can roam around freely and collect some food or whatever!”, he replied casually.  
“Felix can go with you and show you around, if you want. He knows, some plants, that are eatable so you can bring some of those with you, too.” 

Jisung‘s face immediately lit up.  
“Deal!”, he grinned, cheeks puffing up.  
“But next time, you take me with you.”  
He faced Changbin again.  
“I promise, I know how to restrain myself!” 

Minho scoffed from the other side of their circle.  
  
“You absolutely do not!”, he huffed but Jisung only stuck his tongue out in his direction and rose to his feet. 

“I'm gonna wake up Felix!”, he exclaimed, opting to run over to the sleeping orange-haired boy, but Woojin stretched his hand out to stop him. 

“I'll have to warn you!”, he advised Jisung.  
“Waking up Felix is even worse than waking up Seungmin!” 

Shortly, Jisung hesitated but then he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.  
“It'll be fine!”, he promised, before proceeding with his mission, shaking the freckled boy rapidly, once he reached him, to pull him out of the land of dreams. 

Doubtfully, Changbin watched alongside Hyunjin, how Felix made a swatting movement with his hand, growling at the omega, who didn't seem fazed by the alpha's mood at all.

“Does Sungie have any kind of self-preservative-drive?”, Hyunjin asked, when the omega shook Felix again. 

“Felix, come with me, we have to go collect food and wood!”, he declared, starting a new attempt in waking the boy up.

Changbin snorted.  
“After all those years, you still ask?.”, he retorted while resignedly watching his dongsaeng receive another rebuff. 

Next to Hyunjin, Minho chuckled maliciously.  
  
“This is gonna be fun to watch!”, he grinned excitedly.  
“Wait till Felix snaps!” 

Worried, Changbin threw him a quick glance.  
“Do I have to prepare to save him?”, he asked the alpha dryly, who only waved him off. 

“Nah, he'll survive!”, he replied, his tone almost sounding a little disappointed. 

By now, Jisung had thrown himself on top of Felix, his limbs spread out like a starfish.  
“Years of friendship, and this is the treatment I get!”, he whined dramatically, bouncing up and down a little. 

It really amazed Changbin, how comfortable the omega already was with another alpha, that he didn’t know.  
Felix must have some kind of secret for that.

Annoyed, Felix raised his head, bedhair jutting out in every possible direction. 

“I literally met you yesterday in the process of saving your asses!”, he growled, sounding tired with his voice even lower than the day before. 

Jisung rolled off him and grabbed the grumpy alpha's face, squishing Felix cheeks together.  
Ignoring the threatening sounds that erupted from the freckled boy's throat, he stared right into the alpha's eyes. 

“And I am really thankful for that, so get your own ass up and come with me so that I can make myself useful to repay you guys somehow!” 

Changbin expected Felix to snap, to finally slap the young omega, like he himself had surely done at some point, but to his surprise, the alpha let out a heavy sigh. 

“Guess I don't have a choice, now do I?”, he mumbled, heaving himself up into a sitting position, his sheets falling off his back in the process. 

Jisung flashed him a grin.  
“Nope!”, he agreed, jumping to his feet and stretching one hand out to help the alpha up. 

“Fine!”, Felix gave up, shaking his head to wake himself up more.  
“But first we go take a bath!”  
He scrunched up his nose in disgust.  
“No offense, but we both stink!”, he grumbled lowly. 

Laughing, the omega nodded.  
“Whoever reaches the river last, looses!”, he yelled before taking off, sprinting past the baffled group of boys, that Changbin was a part off. 

The fire flared up within Felix tired eyes.  
  
“Just you wait!”, he shouted after the omega as he opted to follow him as quickly as possible, which led to him falling down the stairs in the process if the loud thud, that sounded from the entrance, was anything to go by.  
  
It made Changbin wince, but when only seconds later, the sound of the door being pulled open and pushed close again trailed up to them, he dared to assume, that none of the two boys had injured themselves severely.

Silence settled over the main hall again, save for Seungmin's and Jeongin's faint mumbling from their spot on the foreign pack's resting-place. 

“Did he just tame morning-Felix?”, Minho asked incredulously, mouth hanging open. 

Woojin only nodded.  
  
“Didn't see that one coming!”, he muttered. 

Chan gave a soft laugh and Changbin couldn't help but grin, too.  
  
“That's our Sungie!”, the blond boy joked, eyes shining in amusement.  
“He surprises us every day!” 

Woojin threw one last glance over his shoulder towards the entrance through which the two boys had disappeared, before refocusing on the matter at hand. 

“Alright, I guess, since that's taken care off, we should maybe hurry and take off for the hunt!”, he advised, voice serious again.  
“There's a huge storm coming our way and if my calculations are right, it should hit us around evening!” 

His friend interrupted him.  
  
“ _If_ your calculations are right!”, he warned, gaze filled with doubt. 

Seemingly offended, the other leader threw his friend a look.  
  
“When have my calculations ever been wrong?”, he asked in a sulking tone, that didn't fit the image Changbin had gotten from him at all. 

Behind them, Seungmin piped up, apparently having listened to their conversation.  
  
“Weeell...”, he started but Woojin broke him off. 

“Shut up, that was one time!”, he snapped, throwing the alpha beside him into a giggle-fit. 

“Yeah, one big time!”, Minho retorted, before standing up.  
“But I agree, we should hurry.” 

Grumbling, the other leader followed his example, along with Hyunjin and Changbin. 

Changbin could sense his inner wolf jipping nervously at the prospect of being alone with the three other alpha's, that were all taller than him, but he tried not to let it show.  
Nonetheless, Chan grabbed his hand, before he could leave. 

“It'll be alright, Binnie!”, he murmured, quiet enough that only Changbin caught it.  
“Do your best!” 

Loosening his tense shoulders, Changbin have a nod.  
  
“I'll bring back food, don't worry!”, he promised, squeezing his friend's hand softly.  
He knew, how frustrated Chan was about his lack of mobility, but for now, there was no helping it.   
  
“You focus on getting better!” 

Chan smiled, his dimples showing.  
“I will!”

These words said, Changbin followed the three other hunters, that had already left the building. 

When he stepped outside as well, Changbin threw a worried glance towards the sky. 

Big clouds had gathered above them, already blocking the sun and throwing shades all over the place. The wind hadn't picked up yet, but he guessed, it was only a matter of time, until that would happen, too. 

“Are you sure, the storm's gonna wait until tonight?”, Hyunjin asked Woojin doubtfully, voicing Changbin's concerns. 

“Well, I was before!”, the other leader gave as a wary answer, brows furrowed. 

“Let's just go and not wait any longer, then we should be fine!”, Minho stated impatiently, the rest of the boys agreeing.  
They took off in the direction of the stream. 

Changbin hoped to see Jisung in the water, but unfortunately, the younger boy was already gone, leaving no sign of him or Felix behind. 

“Will they be okay with the storm coming?”, he asked Hyunjin lowly while following Woojin and Minho, who were already crossing the stream over some broad stones that acted as a bridge towards the other riverside. 

His friend nodded.  
  
“Sungie grew up out here!”, he reassured.  
“He won't be stupid enough to miss the dark clouds above his head!” 

That being said, both boys took off for the hunt!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually made a cover Picture for this Story, but i have no fucking clue, of how to upload pics here on ao3. Does anyone maybe wanna tell me, how to do that?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for picturing Jisung and Felix as irresponsible in this one, but it simply went well with the Story. I personally think, they would think things through better before making decisions, since they are both members of straykids, that think a lot about everything.  
> I love them both a lot!
> 
> Also, i hate that i can't get Jisung's "I see" on spotify. i really like that song and i think, sungie poured a lot of thoughts and Feelings into it, so it has a lot of depth.
> 
> And finally: Changbin is probably a Little whinier and smaller in my Story than he is in real life, but i Kind of "edited" the Boys characters for my Story, so im sorry if their personalities arent completely accurate. I tried to not let them drift off too much.

Apparently, Jisung _was_ stupid enough to miss the dark clouds above his head, because when Changbin and the other three boys returned from their hunting trip, fleeing from the dark sky, that only got brightened by occasionally flashing lightnings, followed by growling thunder, the young omega and Felix still hadn't returned to the building.

The hunting party had been successful, Changbin and Minho tracking down a deer that Hyunjin and Woojin had killed by using the element of surprise.  
  
The knife, that the other leader had pulled out of his pocket during the hunt, had scared Changbin at first, but he admitted that it made things much easier.  
  
That way, they were able to let their prey bleed out deep within the woods so the traitorous smell of blood stayed far away from the apartment-tower, keeping other animals out of their home. 

Of course, Changbin still had their own old hunting knife stored away somewhere within one of their backpacks, but he rarely pulled it out in favor of sparing Chan the sight.   
  
His friend’s condition was already a lot better than months ago, but that didn't change the fact, that Changbin knew of his leader's discomfort around knives.

Now, as they stepped back into the main hall, each of them carrying the dead deer on one of its legs, the first thing that caught Changbin's attention, was the absence of the two loud boys.   
For once, the quietness unsettled him. 

The storm was only minutes away from breaking out and once it hit them fully, all hell would come loose outside, that, he was sure of.

“Where are Jisung and Felix?”, Changbin asked Chan, who still lay on his makeshift bed, feet now bare and his hair seemingly having been washed by one of the two boys, that sat next to him.  
He hoped for an answer from his leader, but said boy only shrugged. 

“They haven't come home yet!”, he answered, a strain to his voice from which Changbin recognized the blond's worry.  
Even if Chan couldn't leave the building, he for sure hadn't missed the loud rumbles of the thunder that announced the arrival of the awaited storm. 

Frustrated Hyunjin let out a groan.  
“Please don't tell me, they have gotten themselves lost?”, he pleaded, eyes set at the high ceiling of the hall as if he was talking to the gods. 

Woojin frowned, setting the prey down, which forced the others, who were carrying it together with him to do the same.  
  
“Felix knows his way around the woods!”, he objected but his voice was laced with concern as well.  
“Maybe something has happened?” 

Ice-cold fear took a hold of Changbin's heart, squeezing it until it became hard for him to breathe.  
Next to him he felt Hyunjin tense up.  
He knew, the alpha had the exact same thoughts as him. 

Maybe, something did happen. Something far worse than just an accident.  
Maybe she had found Jisung.  
Maybe... 

“I will go looking for them!”  
  
The words slipped out of Changbin's mouth before his thought had ended. 

“Me too!”, Hyunjin joined in, gaze determined. 

Next to them, Chan growled lowly.  
One look at his leader's face told Changbin, that the blond knew of their fear.  
And that he shared it, too! 

“That could be dangerous!”, his leader warned and the Changbin could once again see his frustration over being unable to help.  
Quickly, he crouched down next to Chan. 

“We will bring them back safe and sound!”, he promised, voice dropping into a growl.  
“No matter from where!” 

Chan's expression was pained, but he nodded nonetheless.  
  
When Changbin rose to his feet again, Minho chimed in. 

“I will accompany you!”, he decided, one look thrown towards his own leader. 

Woojin sighed, seemingly unaware of the panic, that was radiating off Changbin and Hyunjin.  
  
“Alright, get those knuckleheads back!”, he ordered, bowing down to pick their prey up all by himself this time, throwing the dead body over his shoulder.  
  
Changbin was mesmerized by his strength for a second.  
The other leader didn't even look that build. 

“I'd love to accompany you, but someone has to prepare the meat and roast it, before something else gets attracted by the smell!”   
  
The alpha turned around to walk towards the back exit.  
  
“Jeongin, can you help me?”, he asked the young boy, who sat next to Seungmin, following the conversation of the older boys in silence. 

Willingly the maknae stood up.  
“Sure, hyung!”, he agreed, before turning around once more.  
“Good luck with finding them!”, he wished, before disappearing through the door behind Woojin.

Minho sighed.  
  
“How stupid can they be to not come back in time when there's a storm on it's way?”, he grumbled as he led the search party down the stairs out the main entrance again. 

Hyunjin actually snorted at that.  
  
“There are three ways to make a decision.”, he explained mockingly, probably to hide his own nervousness.  
“The right way, the wrong way and the Han-Jisung-way!” 

Reaching the ground floor, Minho scoffed.  
  
“Isn't that the wrong way, though?”, he asked sarcastically, pushing the front door open.  
Immediately, cold wind hit their faces. 

Changbin held a hand over his eyes to protect them against the heavy rain, as he stepped outside.  
  
“Yeah, it is!”, he muttered dryly.  
“Just much faster!” 

“And with a way more destructive outcome!”, Hyunjin added, almost shouting to drown out the howling of the wind. 

Apparently, Woojin's calculation had - in fact - been wrong, because if the storm hadn't even really hit them yet and would only actually do that later around evening, like the alpha had predicted, Changbin feared for the stability of the apartment-tower. 

“Which way?”, he yelled in Minho's direction, the latter pointing to the west. 

“As far as I know, that way is Felix favorite spot to collect fruits and stuff!”, he answered, eyes squinted together to not go blind because of the rain. 

Changbin growled.  
“Then let's go!”  
__________

Jisung and Felix had been collecting blackberries and hazelnuts to bring home as side-dishes for the meat that they hoped the hunting party would catch, when at some point, Felix had discovered the darkening clouds above them.  
  
The wind had picked up, too, pulling at the leaves of the trees around them, that were already changing their colors. 

They were about to abort their mission and return to the apartment-tower, but then, Jisung had noticed something. 

A tree, or, to be exact, a pear-tree, all branches loaded with ripe fruits.  
  
If they would collect only one sackload of them, the measurement being Felix jacket, that they had re-purposed into a bag, the packs would profit greatly from the food. 

There were only two problems. 

First, the tree grew on the side of a sheer scarp on a plateau almost 18 feet up in the air. 

Second, the wall next to it was simple smooth stone, giving them no possibility of climbing up to the tree from the ground. 

Now, the two boys stood at the bottom, staring up to the tree with furrowed brows, both contemplating, how they could solve their problem, while the sky was turning darker with every passing minute.

“Maybe we should just call it quits!”, Felix suggested carefully.  
  
He wanted to get the fruits just as badly as the other boy did, but he also knew how dangerous it could get to be out and about during the upcoming thunderstorm.  
  
And risking his life for a few pears was definitely not high on the list of things he wanted to do. 

Disappointed, Jisung pushed his lips into a pout.  
“But they are so close!”, he protested weakly. 

Felix clenched his teeth together in regret, also finding it hard to let their haul go, but he couldn't see any solution.  
He was about to turn around and start his way back to the building, when suddenly, Jisung let out a loud gasp. 

“I know how to do it!”, he yelled, throwing Felix a beaming grin.  
The alpha let himself get pulled in by the other boy's enthusiasm. 

He hadn‘t known Jisung for more than a day, but he could already feel himself growing a soft spot for his age-twin.

“How?”, he asked, the clouds above them long forgotten. 

Jisung pointed to the far right of the scarp, where the wall was more uneven, providing more lugs for them to use as steps.  
  
“One of us could climb all the way up over there,”, his finger wandered along the edge of the cliff towards the point right above the pear-tree. “walk over to the tree, and climb straight down from up there!” 

Felix mouth was hanging open.  
  
“That is an incredibly stupid and foolish idea that will probably get us killed!”, he mumbled before his face contorted into a wide grin.  
“Let's do it!”, he decided, making Jisung jump in excitement. 

“I can climb up and throw the pears down to you!”, he suggested.   
Felix nodded. 

“But be careful!”, he warned, the omega waving him off. 

“Relax!”, he stated with persuasion.  
“I don't fall during climbing!” 

Felix gave an unbelieving scoff but swallowed his retort, when Jisung took off running, starting his way up the scarp with experienced agility.  
  
He looked very cat-like, clambering the wall with smooth movements until he reached the edge of the cliff without any complications. 

Felix had to admit, the omega indeed knew how to climb.

With haste steps, Jisung ran along the edge towards the place right above the tree, making the alpha on the ground want to cover his eyes because of how close the other was to the abyss, but to Felix genuine surprise, the boy reached his destination without harm. 

“Be careful!”, Felix yelled again, trying to be louder than the strengthening wind. 

Jisung gave him a thumbs up before cautiously starting to climb down the scarp.  
  
Doubt started to grow within Felix stomach, as he saw the omega's frail body hanging 30 feet up in the air.   
  
Why hadn't he persisted on him being the one to climb the wall?  
If anything happened to the boy, that guy Chan, would murder him.  
Or his scary looking substitute, the dark-haired omega, that had been on watch with him, Changbin. 

And if he was honest, Felix didn't want anything to happen to Jisung either.  
The boy was fun to be around and easy to talk to and Felix had already grown attached to him a little. 

A sharp gasp forced itself out of his throat, when Jisung slipped, only barely catching himself with one hand. 

“Please do not fall of that cliff!”, Felix yelled, nervousness clearly evident within his deep voice.  
“Your pack-mates would kill me!” 

Even from down here, he could hear Jisung's light giggle. 

Effortlessly, the omega got a good grip on the stony wall again and continued his way down, until he was hanging above the plateau, about two meters up in the air.  
Then he jumped, landing more or less safely next to the trunk of the tree. 

The strong wind let him come within a whisker of loosing his balance, but in the last second, Jisung grabbed a large branch, that grew in his direction, to hold himself up. 

“Made it!”, he shouted down to Felix who let out a relieved sigh, the omega's broad grin even visible from the alpha's position on the ground.  
  
“I'm gonna throw some pears down now. Can you catch?” 

Felix nodded, stretching his hands out in Jisung's direction encouragingly.  
  
“Sure, hit me with everything you got!”, he yelled back, only to promptly get a pear thrown square into his face.  
Luckily the thing wasn't overly ripe or it surely would have popped and drenched Felix in sugary juice. 

“Are you okay?”, came Jisung's mocking question from up above.  
“I thought you said you'd catch!” 

“Shut up and do your job!”, Felix shouted, earning laughter from the other boy, plus a few more pears, which Felix all caught with ease this time. 

Soon, their makeshift bag was full, the sides bulging under the many fruits they had collected and when Felix threw a scrutinizing look towards the sky, the darkness of the clouds scared even him. 

“Jisung, I think we should hurry back!”, he yelled, gaining the attention of the omega. 

Said boy held one hand up to indicate him to wait.  
  
“Just a second!”, he called, disappearing to the posterior part of the plateau and out of Felix sight. 

When he didn't return even after a few minutes, Felix grew nervous.  
What was the omega doing? 

“Jisung?”, he shouted questioningly, his feet tingling, urging him to climb after the boy and look for him.  
  
He was about to give in to his desire when suddenly, something big and leafy landed on his right shoulder, scaring the living shit out of him and therefore forced him to let out a loud shriek while jumping backwards. 

“What the fuck!?”, he screamed, head whipping up to see Jisung stand on the edge of the plateau, desperately trying to hold in his laughter. 

“Sorry!”, the omega apologized. “I didn't think that would scare you.” 

With a disgusted face, Felix peeled the muddy plant off of his shoulder, holding it up by one leaf.  
  
“What exactly is 'that'?”, he asked, examining the thing carefully for possible bugs or spiders. 

“It's a herb!”, the omega answered, his voice almost getting drowned out due to the loud rumble of thunder not far from them. 

“I better get down!”, Jisung decided, sitting down at the edge of the plateau and carefully lowering himself on a tiny step that was almost invisible for Felix' eyes. 

“Woah, woah, woah!”, he yelled, startled by the unexpected turn of events.  
“You can't climb down here! Take the other way back!” 

But Jisung shook his head.  
  
“We don't have the time!”, he answered while continuing to search for further steps and handles. 

As if to emphasize his words, in that moment, a huge lightning struck the sky above their heads, followed by booming thunder.  
Only seconds later, heavy rain drenched their clothes, turning everything slippery and muddy. 

“Jisung, we have to hurry!”, Felix yelled, fear starting to rise within him.  
This was not funny anymore!  
This was starting to get dangerous!

“Alright, I'm gonna jump!”, the omega exclaimed, still about 12 feet up in the air. 

Panic washed through Felix and he started to hectically wave his arms in objection.  
“No no no, you are not!”, he screamed, genuinely scared that the brown-haired boy would break his neck in the process. 

Jisung didn't seem to care, though.  
  
“Letting go!”, the omega announced before his hands released the root he had been clinging to, sending his body sliding downwards. 

A loud thud could be heard at his impact with the ground and he rolled over the wet grass, coming to a halt a few meters away from Felix.  
When he didn't move, Felix let out a swear under his breath, before bolting towards the omega's slumped form. 

“Jisung!”  
__________

Wind was whipping into Minho's face, as he moved forward, hand raised above his eyes to shield them from the heavy rainfall, that had only softened a little since they had reached the cover of the trees. 

This storm was surely not the strongest he had lived through, but it wasn't weak either and by now, he wasn't even sure anymore if they were still on the right track.  
  
Here, within the forest, it was so dark that one had trouble looking past one‘s own nose and more than once, Minho heard faint yelps behind him, when his two companions tripped over a branch or a scattered stone. 

Normally, the alpha would have simply been annoyed.  
Annoyed, that he had to search for two idiots, who were dumb enough to get themselves lost during a storm. 

But he wasn't stupid either and he had seen the glances, the other pack-members had shared, had smelled the obvious fear within their scents.  
  
They had been afraid of something or maybe even someone and Minho couldn't shake the feeling that their reaction was rooted within whatever had happened to Chan for him to get his injury.

Minho was about to turn around and admit to the others that he wasn't exactly sure of their location anymore, when suddenly, his eyes caught a movement ahead of him.  
Halting his steps, he squinted, trying to make out the form of what had caught his attention.  
  
It looked rather human, which was, why he dared to make their presence known. 

“Felix? Jisung?”, he yelled as loudly as he could to drown out the howling of the storm around them and the pattering of the rain.  
  
The figure seemed to hesitate, before it started moving in his direction, getting clearer and bigger.  
Soon, it reached them and Minho could recognize Felix, who looked like he was carrying something heavy on his back. 

“Felix, what the fuck!”, he exclaimed, running towards the younger alpha over the slippery ground, the buff omega and his friend right on his heels.  
All of them came to a skidding halt right in front of a dripping Felix who looked a little unsettled, his eyes wide open. 

“What happened?”, Minho asked sharply, deciding to postpone his planned lecture.  
Something was definitely not right! 

The freckled boy put the bundle down, that he had been carrying on his shoulders and almost instantly, the smell of ripe pears reached Minho's nose. 

“We found a pear-tree!”, Felix stated superfluously. 

“Where is Jisung!”, the dark-haired omega from the other pack cut in, stepping right in front of the confused boy, who started gesturing with his hands, motioning behind him. 

“There was this tree, but it grew on the side of a scarp!”, he rambled, eyes big and wild.  
“But we wanted the fruits, so Jisung climbed up the cliff to get them!” 

His incoherent speech got interrupted by Changbin again.  
  
“Did he fall off that cliff?”, the omega screeched hysterically, right at the same time, as the tall alpha next to him asked: “He broke something?” 

Felix shook his head in confusion, all the different questions seemingly distracting him.  
  
“No!”, he then shouted before correcting himself.  
“I mean, yes, he did fall off that cliff, but it was intentional!” 

Now, Minho couldn't hold himself back anymore either.  
“He threw himself off a cliff?”, he asked, voice unbelieving.  
  
That the young omega apparently wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, was something he had thought to himself a few times already, but this seemed to top even his expectations. 

Changbin chimed in again.  
  
“Felix, tell us where Jisung is!”, he ordered, a concerned tone evident within his voice. 

The freckled alpha let out a frustrated howl, that silenced everyone around him.  
  
“I've been trying!”, he yelled, browns furrowed.  
“He slipped on our way back and fell into a huge mud puddle!” 

Shortly, it was quiet, save for the sounds of the storm that was still raging around them. 

Then, Hyunjin heaved a deep sigh.  
“Let me take a wild guess!”, he said, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.  
“He's stuck?” 

Felix lowered his gesturing hands and nodded.  
  
“The mud is too heavy for me to pull him out alone, so he told me to get help.” 

The tall alpha turned to his friend, eyes sporting an exasperated expression.  
  
“How does he keep getting into these situations?”, he asked rather rhetorically, throwing his hands in the air. 

Changbin groaned.  
  
“Over five years of friendship, and I still don't know!”, he answered, a strain to his voice before motioning for Felix to go ahead.  
“Would you please lead the way!”, he pleaded resigned, the freckled boy nodding in affirmation. 

Minho's jaw was hanging open as he followed their conversation.  
Neither of the young omega's friends sounded overly surprised because of the turn of events.  
They rather looked a little relieved. 

“Are you telling me, this is a normal day for you?”, he shouted after the two boys, who were already following Felix deeper into the forest. 

Hyunjin turned around.  
  
“No, Jisung normally tries to drown himself during summer!”, he replied, voice sounding not as sarcastic as Minho would have liked. 

What even was wrong with this pack?  
Swearing under his breath, he followed the group.  
__________

Chan clenched his fists in frustration while he watched Changbin disappear through the main entrance, alongside Hyunjin and Minho.  
Once again, he cursed his injury and everything that came with it. 

Since yesterday, all kinds of emotions and thoughts had ghosted through his head.  
He felt like a burden, a sorry excuse of a leader who wasn't worth his position. 

What kind of captain fainted in front of a rival pack, forcing them to help?  
Who forced his younger friends to go hunting just so they could repay his very own debt to the foreign pack? 

Bitterness and anger played catch within his mind, not giving him even one peaceful minute.  
He was angry.  
Angry at his own weakness, angry at his own helplessness, angry at his incapability to lead his pack properly and keep his friends away from danger. 

A part of him knew, that his anger was just converted fear of Jisung being out there, possibly hurt or in any other sort of danger, but nonetheless, he couldn't seem to tame the flames that burned hot within his chest. 

His eyes stung but Chan forced his welling tears back.  
How pathetic would it be of him, if he cried now, not helping anyone in the process.  
Oh, what glorious of a leader he would make! 

Another wave of rage and despair rolled through him and this time, Chan wasn't able to stop himself from voicing his feelings.  
  
“Dammit!”, he cursed out, fist colliding with the floor next to his makeshift bed harshly, the loud thud echoing from the walls. 

The fast movement sent a sharp shot of pain through his side, additionally to his now sore knuckles, and made him hiss, but the agony only reminded him of his useless state again, letting the frustration flare up within him even more, like if someone would pour gasoline into a campfire. 

Just when he was about to punch the soil again, only to feel the pain once more to punish himself for his weakness, someone cleared their throat right next to him, startling the leader.  
When he turned his head, he was looking right into the healer‘s brown orbs. 

Seungmin had raised his left eyebrow, staring at him with a strict gaze. 

“If you reopen your wound because of your outbursts, I'm not sure, what I'm gonna do,”, he warned, sitting down cross-legged next to Chan.  
  
“Either I'm gonna burn you again, just for the fun of it, or I'm gonna let you bleed to death because of your stupidity!” 

He leaned back on his hands, a bored look on his face and voice casual.  
“I haven't decided yet but I can assure you that you're not gonna like either!” 

Chan felt annoyance well up within him again, but this time, he swallowed it down.  
The omega was right.  
He was in no place to cause even more trouble for anyone, just cause he was feeling sorry for himself. 

“I'm sorry!”, he mumbled, gaze wandering back towards the exit of the room.  
“I'm just a little worried, is all!” 

He heard Seungmin hum in understanding.  
Shortly, it was quiet, but then, the healer rose to speak again. 

“Say, Chan-hyung...”, he started, surprising the blonde, for this was the first time, the younger had used honorifics to address him.  
“There is something I'd like to ask you.” 

The omega sounded hesitant and Chan couldn't help but put his hand on the other boys knee in a comforting gesture.  
Even, if Seungmin wasn't a part of his pack, the puppy-like boy still awoke his protective instincts and left him no choice but be caring and affectionate. 

“It's okay, Seungmin-ah!”, he reassured with a smile on his face.  
“If the question gets too personal, I can still refuse to answer!” 

Determination spreading on the omega's face, the brown-haired boy nodded.  
“Alright!”, he agreed, straightening his posture but leaving Chan's hand in it's place on his leg, as if he needed the warmth of the blond's touch.  
  
It made Chan smile even brighter.  
Apparently, the boy wasn't as passive and reserved as one would assume on the first glance. 

Bracing himself, Seungmin took in a deep breath.  
Then, he raised his head to look directly into Chan's eyes, his gaze no longer insecure but sharp and calculating, sending a shiver down the leader's spine. 

For a few seconds, the omega simply stared at him before he finally opened his mouth, his words letting Chan freeze up on the spot. 

“What exactly is your second gender, hyung? Because I've learned enough about medical topics and biology to realize, that you are not an alpha!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thats it for now, i hope you guys enjoyed it!  
> Stay save!  
> And this may seem random, but i hope, you guys all take good care of yourselves! Not just physically but also mentally! Like Woojin said in this chapter: sometimes you can't prevent things from Happening...you can only Change the way you look at them.  
> Something i learned over the past few months: A Problem is never as big as it seems on first glance.  
> A Problem is only ever as big as you make it!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here i am again with two new chapters. The second one will follow a Little later, because i still Need to make some adjustments. i hope, you guys will enjoy it!
> 
> P.S. I still don't know how to post Pictures on here...sorry

Changbin felt the annoyance boil deep within him, when he finally was able to grab Jisung's dirty hand to pull him out of the puddle completely. 

They had reached their destination, only to find out, that Changbin's idiot of a friend had gotten himself stuck within a huge mud-puddle that had gotten created within an earthy part of the forest due to the heavy rain. 

Helpless, the young omega had stood within the dirt, sunken in up to his waist, unable to move anymore and seemingly very relieved to see his friends. 

To get Jisung out of his miserable situation, however, someone had to climb into the puddle as well to grab him, since he was out of reach from the grassy shore.  
And because Minho feared, that Changbin would get himself stuck as well, due to his short height and with both - Hyunjin and Felix - not being strong enough to pull Jisung out, Minho decided, that it was best for him to do it himself. 

They had formed a chain, holding on to the oldest to not loose him within the sludge, too, but nonetheless it had taken them almost an hour to finally free the young omega, regrettably having to leave one of Jisung's shoes behind, since it got lost within the dirt.

Now they were all standing a few meters away from the puddle, Jisung and Minho both covered in mud, while the rest was soaking wet because of the rain and Changbin could feel his nerves thinning out more and more with every passing minute. 

The growling thunder above them, combined with the flashing lightnings of the still not ceasing storm, did their part in edging the group even more and Changbin could literally see Minho snap, even before the alpha opened his mouth, lips pulled into a snarl. 

“What exactly were you two idiots thinking to not come home when you saw the dark clouds appear above the hollow nuts that are supposed to be your heads?”, he growled, voice even deeper than Felix' at the moment.  
  
Authority and dominance were radiating off of him and Changbin felt himself unconsciously search for cover behind Hyunjin's back.

The addressed boys both lowered their heads in shame, Jisung visibly flinching at the alpha's tone. 

“We just wanted to get the pears so badly!”, Felix explained carefully, not daring to look at Minho, who snorted. 

“Yeah, if I remember correctly, he,”, the alpha pointed at Jisung, “risked his life for those pears!”, his finger wandered over to the bundle, that lay on the ground next to the Felix' feet.  
  
“Couldn't you just have waited for the storm to shake them off the tree and collect them the next day?”  
  
The alpha ran a hand through his muddy hair.  
“Was it really that urgent to get them?”  
He sounded just as exasperated, as Changbin felt. 

When no answer came, Minho went on, apparently still not done with his rant.  
  
“Did you want to prove anything? Because the only thing you proved, is that you are suicidal crackheads with no awareness for their own well-being!” 

In that moment, Jisung's small voice interrupted his ranting.  
  
“No, actually,”, the omega mumbled, “we just didn't think of that!” 

Minho halted his movements.  
  
“Of what?”, he asked, truly confused. 

Felix scratched his nape.  
  
“Of the fact that the storm would blow the pears off the tree anyways.”, he answered sheepishly.  
“We didn't think that far in our determination to bring some of the fruits home!” 

For a second, everything was quiet.  
Even the wind seemed to lessen and the thunder to hold its breath in the face of the obvious stupidity of the two boys. 

Changbin wasn't sure, whether he should laugh or cry, but he was exhausted and freezing, since the wind snuck under his wet clothes to cool him down further and further, and his closest goal at the moment was getting himself dry again. 

Actually he was just glad that nothing serious had happened and if it'd be up to him, he could let this whole thing go, filed under 'Don't-let-Jisung-and-Felix-leave-the-building-unsupervised'. 

Hopeful, his gaze wandered over to Minho, releasing a loud groan upon seeing the alpha's dumbstruck expression.  
  
“Great, guys, I think you broke him!”, he exclaimed accusingly, stepping out from behind Hyunjin, who was face-palming again, seemingly being just as fed up with this whole situation as Changbin was. 

Minho's jaw had slacked and he wasn't moving at all, only staring at Felix and Jisung, who shared worried glances.  
It seemed unlikely to there be any clear decision expected from the oldest at the moment.

Shuddering, Changbin pulled his head further between his shoulders. He prayed this wouldn't take much longer.

Finally, the dark-haired alpha closed his mouth, his eyes squinted into a resigned glare. 

“There are some remarkably dumb people in this world! Thank you both for helping me understand that!”, he muttered in a peeved tone, before turning his back towards them.  
  
“We better get going before one of us gets struck by a lightning!”, he grumbled dryly, stepping over a gnarled root that grew within his way while muttering incoherent words under his breath, that sounded like something along the lines of 'wouldn't put it past those idiots to make a bet who could get it done faster'. 

Changbin let out a deep sigh.  
  
His skin was forming goosebumps because of the cold and his fingers already felt like blocks of ice. 

Fall definitely wasn't the best season to play tug-war within a mud-puddle! 

Shivering he walked over to Jisung who still stood next to Felix, apparently unsure whether they were allowed to follow Minho yet or if he would snap at them again if they came into a 20 feet radius of him. 

“Come on, muddenheads, let's go back!”, Changbin ordered, making the decision for the two boys.  
“Felix, will you be okay with your bundle or do you need help?” 

Denying, the freckled boy shook his head, grabbing the bundle by himself and throwing it over his shoulder again.  
“It's not that heavy, hyung!”, he answered before flashing Changbin a timid smile.  
“I'll be okay!” 

A little flustered because of the orange-haired boy's use of honorifics, Changbin nodded.  
The he turned towards Jisung, who still hadn't said a word to him or Hyunjin.  
“And will you manage without your shoe?”, Changbin asked, finger pointing at the younger's bare left foot. 

Jisung hummed in confirmation, avoiding his friend's gazes.  
  
Sighing, Changbin pulled the muddy boy into a tight hug, not caring that his clothes got dirty.  
They were wet already anyways. 

“It's okay, Sungie, we were just worried that something worse had happened.”, he reassured his friend, who buried his face in Changbin's neck. 

“I'm sorry!”, Jisung sniffed, clearly fighting with some overwhelming emotions.  
“I just wanted to be useful and bring something home, since I couldn't help with the hunt!” 

Rubbing Jisung's back soothingly, Changbin felt his own irritation melt away at the younger's warmth.  
  
“I know, Sungie!”, he mumbled calmly.  
“But you scared us big time, even Minho!” 

The brown-haired boy looked up.  
“Nah, I'm pretty sure, he just wanted to use the opportunity to tell me off!”, he snorted, his lower lip jutting out, giving him the appearance of a whiny child. 

Giggling, Hyunjin wrapped his long arms around both omegas, squeezing them altogether.  
  
“I'm pretty sure, he has a good heart!”, he defended the poor alpha.  
“After all, he was the one who suggested we bring Chan to their base and now, again, he volunteered to go out into the storm and search for you!” 

Relaxing into the temporary warmth of the embrace he was caught in, Jisung grumbled.  
  
“Well, his own pack-mate was out here, too!”, he muttered, but his face already looked less repelled at the mention of the older alpha. 

Changbin knew, that Jisung wasn't one to pick fights.  
Just like himself, the younger loved harmony and joy, despising it, if someone he was close with had troubles with him, so whenever the omega snapped at Minho, it was simply a defensive reaction to the older's grumpy behavior. 

Affectionately, he ruffled Jisung's muddy hair.  
  
“Trust me, he is not as bad as you think he is!”, he assured, a smile on his face.  
“Make sure to thank him for his help!” 

Shocked wide eyes shot Changbin a horrified look.  
  
“I have to thank him?”, the Jisung asked petrified, looking way more scared of talking to his newly-sworn enemy than he did while standing up to his waist within mud.  
It was almost comical. 

“Well, after all he was the one who jumped into the puddle to pull your ass out of the dirt!”, Hyunjin chimed in, breaking up their hug by letting the two omegas go again. 

Jisung grumbled unwillingly.  
  
“But then he thinks, I owe him one!”, he whined, his fingers intertwining with Changbin's outstretched hand as they started following Felix and Minho, Hyunjin right behind his two friends.  
The younger's skin felt even colder, than Changbin's own, making him worry about the omega's health. 

All of them were still weakened by their previous period of hunger and Changbin hoped, that their little adventure wouldn't make the brown-haired boy sick.  
He knew, he didn't have to be concerned about Hyunjin, since the alpha naturally had a high body temperature, but Jisung had always gotten cold easily. 

Picking up his steps, Changbin accelerated his pace to catch up to the two alphas in the front and to warm Jisung up by having to keep up with him. 

When they rounded a few bushes, they caught sight of Felix and Minho, who were currently hugging, the older clearly comforting the younger boy.  
Upon Changbin's arrival, together with his two friends, both alphas broke apart.  
  
Minho threw them a scrutinizing look. 

“I almost thought, you guys ran off!”, were the dry words he greeted them with. 

Changbin was about to answer, when Jisung next to him growled.  
  
“As if we would ever leave Channie-hyung behind!”, he snapped, offense clearly evident on his features. 

Sighing, Changbin gave him a light slap on the back of his head.  
  
“Yah! Stop getting riled up about his comments!”, he chastised the younger.  
“Wasn't there something you wanted to say to Minho?” 

Immediately loosing his aggressive composure, Jisung lowered his head in shame and shyness.  
  
“Right!”, he mumbled before stepping forward a bit.   
His bare foot started tapping on the ground in nervous restlessness. 

It looked kind of ridiculous, but Changbin vehemently forbid himself to laugh. 

“I wanted to thank you for helping me out of the puddle!”, Jisung then stated in a small voice, words directed at the surprised Minho, whose eyebrows were disappearing under his black bangs which were pressed against his forehead from the rain. 

For a moment, no one said a word.  
Then, the older alpha cleared his throat in a flustered manner.  
  
“Don't thank me!”, he replied, waving the younger off.  
“Just use your head next time!” 

Changbin could literally see, how Jisung pressed his lips together to swallow another retort, and he squeezed the younger's hand in approval, flashing him a mocking grin which earned him one more stuck-out tongue by the omega. 

Felix' deep voice pulled the attention of all those present towards the freckled boy.  
  
“I think we should hurry home!”, the young alpha suggested, his bundle flung over his shoulder once more.  
“Woojin-hyung will worry if we stay away any longer!” 

Changbin nodded in agreement.  
  
“Chan-hyung, too!”, he added, his free hand, which wasn't occupied by Jisung, combing through his own bangs that hung into his eyes. 

Felix froze for a moment, staring at Changbin's freed forehead.  
  
“Woah, hyung, you look way older with your hair back!”, he exclaimed, mouth forming a perfect o. 

Flustered, Changbin felt his cheeks flare up, hoping that the darkness of the forest would hide his embarrassment and surprise.  
Was that a compliment? It hadn’t sounded insulting and actually, he wouldn’t expect something like that from Felix anyways.   
The freckles alpha had made a rather friendly impression on him up until now.   
  
“Thanks?”, he therefore gave back before simply walking past the freckled boy to escape the rather embarrassing situation, pulling Jisung along with him in the process.   
His friend giggled softly. 

“You are one awkward guy, hyung!”, he whispered into Changbin's ear, who growled lowly. 

“Shut up or I will throw you back into that puddle from before and leave you there!”, he threatened, using his arm to push a big branch to the side to let them pass it comfortably. 

Apparently, Jisung didn't miss his former location that much, because he chose to remain quiet, throwing a glance over his shoulder to look for Hyunjin, who was walking behind them, next to Minho and Felix.  
The latter of the three alphas took this moment to shout something in their direction. 

“Hyung, we are a bit far in the North!”, he yelled from behind, referring to Changbin's choice if direction.  
“You have to turn to the right a little!” 

Complying, Changbin changed his path, swaying a bit to the wanted direction while not even trying to question how Felix knew exactly where they were at the moment. 

To him, all the trees around him looked the same and he could have sworn that he had passed that mushroom, that grew to his left, twice already. 

But apparently, they weren't walking in circles, because only minutes later, the forest cleared up, freeing their sight on the stream and the shadow of the big apartment-tower in the back that was only barely visible through the haze of the rain and the already fading daylight. 

Relieved, Changbin let out a breath.  
Even though their brisk pace had warmed up his feet, his hands were still cold as ice, especially the one that wasn't holding onto Jisung's. 

Right in front of the stream, that had turned into a raging highway of water due to the storm, Changbin came to a halt.   
With Jisung still next to him he waited for the three alphas to catch up to them.  
Once they had reached them, Minho demanded everyones‘ attention with a curt wave.

“Jisung and I have to wash ourselves!”, he remarked, referring to both of their muddy clothes.  
“You can go on ahead and tell our leaders that everything is fine!” 

Immediately, Changbin felt Jisung's grip around his hand tighten.  
Thanks to his friend's past experiences, staying alone with a foreign alpha, whom the boy couldn't reckon up the character from, was not something high on the list of things Jisung enjoyed doing.  
  
Felix apparently had been an exception, for the freckled alpha looked not as intimidating as Minho or Woojin.   
At least, that was, what Changbin assumed, was the reason for Jisung making an exception for the boy.

Understanding the younger's silent plead, Changbin gave a light squeeze back.  
  
“I'll come with you!”, he decided, words directed at Minho but his glance thrown in Jisung's direction.  
“I haven't washed myself yet either.” 

The look, Jisung gifted him with, was heavy with the younger‘s gratefulness and relief.

Hyunjin nodded.  
  
“Alright, me and Felix will inform the others!”, he stated, looking over to the boy in question, who hummed in confirmation. 

Minho gave another short wave in the two alphas' direction to let them know, he had heard them, before he turned to the right, heading for a spot along the water where the stream hadn't overflowed it's banks completely yet. 

Changbin followed him, pulling a hesitant Jisung along with him, who didn't seem too overjoyed at the prospect of having to take a bath within the roaring floods. 

When he reached the place, Minho turned around to them with a clearly unnerved expression on his face.  
  
“Please do me a favor and do not – and I repeat: NOT! - fall into the water!”, the alpha warned, eyes set on Jisung who scoffed upon his words.  
“I'm certainly not gonna jump into a stream to save your ass!” 

This time, Jisung let out an amused snort.  
  
“Well, that would be awkward for the both of us, now wouldn't it?”, he murmured, letting go of Changbin's hand to climb down to the water carefully. 

Changbin threw his friend a confused glance.  
“Why would that be awkward?”, he asked while following Jisung's example and starting the short climb down to the water. 

Jisung waited till he reached the sandbank Minho was already standing on before he answered.  
  
“Minho-hyung can't swim!” 

That information ironically seemed to shock Minho more than it did Changbin.  
  
Frantic coughing could be heard behind Changbin, as he climbed down the last steps until his feet finally reached the sandy ground, enabling him to turn around again. 

Minho's face looked ashen within the rain, his usually half-lidded eyes widened in horror.  
  
“Who told you that?”, he demanded to know, voice sounding petrified. 

Jisung shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
“No one, I figured it out myself!”, he replied while wading into the shallow water along the sandbank, hissing when his feet came in contact with the cold Waves. 

Disbelieving, Minho shook his head.  
“How would you possible have been able to figure that out?” 

He sounded outraged and, to Changbin, a little insecure.  
Apparently, the alpha wasn't particularly fond of the fact that a stranger knew of his weakness. 

Well, Changbin couldn't exactly blame him for that.  
  
He himself was surprised about the fact, even though he had lived together with Jisung for years now and therefore knew of the younger's ability of collecting personal information about others.  
It had scared him at first, too, if he was honest.

Jisung raised his hands in a defensive manner.  
  
“No need to worry, hyung, I didn't plan on using it against you!”, he assured. 

Minho scoffed.  
  
“Wouldn't recommend it to you either!”, he murmured before starting to wash himself in a save distance from the younger omega, seemingly intimidated by the boy's new knowledge. 

Changbin bowed down to the water as well, dipping his frozen fingers into the stream.  
As soon as they sunk underneath the surface, every last bit of warmth, that had been left within his hand, got eliminated. 

Jisung next to him already had blue tinted lips and was shivering like a leaf within the wind. 

To cut things short and get the younger omega back into the shelter within the apartment-tower, Changbin simply grabbed his friend‘s hand and made two quick steps forward into the deeper part of the stream, dunking both of them under water.  
  
The shock from the cold seemed to paralyze his heart for a second, before it remembered to beat, faster than before.

He could hear Jisung's loud gasp, as soon as they emerged from the icy water again and quickly pulled the boy closer to ruffle through his wet hair to get rid of every last bit of mud within it before he and Jisung bolted out of the stream, escaping its deadly fangs again. 

Jisung let out a dry cough.  
  
“Don't ever do that again without warning me first!”, he heaved, finger pointing at Changbin who flashed him a grin, that consisted mainly of the clattering of his own teeth. 

“We got it done in record-time, didn't we?”, he asked while wringing the hem of his shirt out.   
His voice was slightly unstable with all the tremors rocking his body.

Grumbling, Jisung wrapped his arms around himself as protection from the strong wind, that was still howling within their ears.  
  
“Shock-frosted me nonetheless!”, he whined.   
He looked even smaller than normally, now that his usually wide shirt was clinging to his frail form. 

Worried about exposing his friend to the storm any longer, Changbin turned around, his gaze searching the bank for Minho.  
Luckily, right in that moment, the alpha got out of the water himself, straightly heading for the two of them. 

“Good to go?”, he asked Changbin, his eyes flickering over the shivering Jisung for a second. 

Nodding, Changbin grabbed Jisung‘s hand again.  
  
“Let's get out of this storm!”, he exclaimed, having to raise his voice above another drumming of thunder. 

Apparently, someone still wasn't done with the tantrum they were throwing up within the sky. 

Without further ado, all three boys climbed up the slope again, hurriedly crossing the stony bridge across the stream and running towards the big building which dark silhouette now promised protection to Changbin, only a day after he had thought of it as scary and repelling. 

As soon as they reached the entrance, Minho pushed the wooden door open, letting the two omegas in first.   
Then he followed and slammed it close behind him, locking the cold wind out that had tried to grab them again with its freezing fingers. 

Panting, Jisung supported himself on his knees.  
  
“Those poor fuckers who will have the first watch tonight!”, he muttered, rising to his full height again.   
His whole body was shivering. 

Minho, with his back still against the door, shook his head.  
“I doubt that Woojin will sent up guards tonight.”, he opposed, hand going through his hair to get the dripping strands out of his face.  
“No idiot with even half a brain would start an attack within this weather!” 

Changbin scoffed.  
  
“We know some idiots with more of a brain than than that, and trust me, they would!”, he mumbled under his breath, but quiet enough that he believed, the alpha hadn't heard him. 

“Binnie, Cold!”, Jisung whined, pointing up the stairs that led to the main hall.  
“Can we please go up there and dry ourselves?” 

The nickname he used for Changbin made the older smile.  
  
“Sure, let's go join Chan and the others!”, he agreed heading after the younger who had already taken the first steps upwards in the direction of the second floor.  
Only, when he realized that Minho wasn't following them, he halted his movements again, turning around to the boy. 

“Aren't you gonna come?”, he asked, head cocked to the side. 

The alpha pushed himself off the door before pointing to the right, where another hallway was leading into one of the lower rooms.  
  
“I'm gonna get us some dry clothes from our stock.”, he stated, waving Changbin off.  
“You guys go ahead, I'll be with you in a sec!” 

Changbin raised his eyebrows.  
  
“You guys have spare clothes?”, he asked in disbelief, but Minho was already running down the hallway, leaving his question unanswered.  
  
Shrugging, Changbin faced forward again and continued his own way. 

Once the alpha came back, they would see it for themselves anyway.  
He just hoped, that the clothes weren't some mothy old rags that smelled like something had died in there. 

Which it probably had, if he thought about it properly, because where else would one get clothes from around here. 

Nonetheless, Changbin would rather wrap himself up within one of the blankets they used for sleeping and wait naked for his clothes to dry than wear moldy ones. 

As soon as he reached the main hall, warmth welcomed him, embracing him like a good friend and melting his frozen limps.  
A relived sigh escaped Changbin's lips when he stepped through the door frame, not just because of the lack of coldness but also, because his gaze landed on his pack-mates who were surrounding Chan's bed, all save and sound. 

A few meters away sat Felix alongside Seungmin, talking to each other quietly.  
Meanwhile Woojin and the maknae, Jeongin, were busy feeding the flickering flames of the fire, which was burning in the middle of the room again, lighting everything up and roasting the meat, the two alphas apparently had prepared on long sticks they had hung up above the fireplace with the aid of a makeshift-cradle that looked suspiciously like it had originally been a wardrobe rail once.

Hyunjin had already taken off his wet clothes, wearing gray sweatpants or something similar, combined with a red jacket, which was a little short on his long arms, but since he was dry, Changbin figured, the alpha didn't really care. 

To his disapproval, Jisung, who had run up ahead while he had been talking to Minho, was already narrating about something while still being dripping wet. 

He would surely catch a cold if he didn't change out of his soaked clothes, so Changbin walked over to his pack, intending to scold the omega about it.  
Chan was the one who noticed him first, flashing him a wide smile, his dimples on display. 

“There you are, Binnie!”, he greeted him, interrupting Jisung's story in the process who turned around to Changbin as well, dripping bangs falling into his brown eyes. 

“I was just talking to Minho-hyung!”, Changbin answered truthfully.  
“He said they have spare clothes and that he would get us some.”  
  
Then he turned to Jisung, a scrutinizing look on his face.  
“Why haven't you taken yours off yet?”, he questioned, hands of his hips.  
“Do you want to get sick?” 

Unsure, the brown-haired boy bit his lower lip.  
“But then I'd be the only one naked and that felt weird!”, he mumbled, his voice insecure. 

Changbin scoffed in disbelieve.  
“You grew up out here!”, he deadpanned.  
“This should be even more natural for you than it is for us!” 

Pouting, Jisung crossed his arms in front of his still shivering form.  
  
“But one is more vulnerable without cover!”, he protested, eyes widened, making him look innocent. 

Changbin was about to retort, when in that moment, a shuffling sound could be heard from the door, followed by Minho entering with a pile of dry clothes within his arms.   
The alpha himself had already changed into black black pants and a purple hoodie. 

Heading straight for the little group around Chan, he threw the clothes at Changbin, who caught the bunch more or less effortlessly. 

“I hope, these fit!”, the dark-haired boy apologized, rubbing his neck.  
“We didn't exactly have every size available.” 

Gratefully, Changbin shook his head.  
“Those are more than enough! Thanks!”, he replied, a warm smile on his face from which he hoped, would show his gratitude. 

Jisung appeared from behind his back, making Minho flinch, who apparently was still shaken because of what the omega had found out about him.  
  
Changbin almost had to stifle a laugh.  
Suddenly, the big dark alpha, Minho had tried to appear as, looked more like a nervous kitten. 

“Can we wear those?”, Jisung asked, gaze set on the dry clothes in Changbin's arms, who wordlessly handed him the pile.  
  
“Minho-hyung was kind enough to get them for us, so say thanks!”, he answered.   
Jisung puffed his cheeks up at his words before looking up to the alpha, that still stood in front of them, awkwardly waiting to be able to escape to his own pack-mates. 

“Thanks for the clothes!”, Jisung exclaimed before scrambling to his feet, grabbing the pile out of Changbin's hands and running off towards one of the empty rooms alongside the medical room they had stolen the first-aid-kit from one day prior. 

Sighing, Changbin face-palmed.  
“Sorry for that!”, he excused his friend, only for Minho to wave him off. 

“We all had a rough start!”, the alpha chuckled, suddenly seeming way more relaxed than before, now that Josung was out of sight.  
“You should hurry after him and change, too!” 

Nodding, Changbin stood up, murmuring a quick explanation in Chan's direction, who had spoken with Hyunjin all the time during their conversation, before following Jisung into the empty room. 

Once he entered, the younger boy was just about done already, pulling the hem of a red-striped shirt down in that moment, which sleeves reached far beneath his fingertips, covering his hands completely.  
The vibrant color of the cloth was something they would never be able to wear outside, since it was way too obvious within the forests, enabling pray and rivals to detect them immediately, but in here, it didn't really matter. 

“Hah, finally dry again!”, Jisung sighed contently before picking up his former wet clothes from the floor.  
“Imma head out first!”, he exclaimed, only to immediately disappear through the door again. 

Now urgent to get out of his wet pants as well, Changbin peeled his dripping sweater off his form, carelessly throwing it to the side, where it landed with a heavy sloshing sound thanks to the water it was soaked with. 

The clothes, Minho had given him, were a little big on his short body, but Changbin couldn't care less, neither about the size, nor the fact that his outfit consisted out of a pink shirt and a blue jacket, the pants a light gray. 

Style was not something the war had left behind for them to worry about. 

Grabbing his old clothes, Changbin stepped out of the room as well.   
Near the entrance on the floor and some spare chairs, he found the rest of their wet clothes spread out and hung up to dry.  
Changbin added his own to the ones already there.   
Then he crossed the main hall again to join his friends, who, by now, were seated within a big circle again, along with the members of the other pack. 

Sitting down next to Hyunjin to be able to lean against the alpha's warm body, Changbin let out a deep breath.  
Like a soft blanket, Hyunjin's arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him even closer. 

“Finally dry again?”, his pack-mate asked quietly as to not interrupt the conversation around them, that was going on.   
Minho was telling everyone about Felix' and Jisung's stupidity, while the two idiots tried to explain and defend themselves with the bag of pears proudly placed between them. 

Not wanting to open his mouth to speak, Changbin gave an affirmative hum, his cold hands reaching for Hyunjin's warm one, that wasn't currently holding him.  
This was one of the best things about having an alpha-best-friend. 

Their body temperature was always high! 

“Aww, is Binnie-baby cold?”, the tall boy asked in a mocking tone, squeezing his shoulder. 

A smile made its way to Changbin's lips as he closed his eyes contently, the warmth of the fire embracing him in the same soft way Hyunjin did.  
  
“Shut up!”, he growled nonetheless, only for the alpha to giggle lightly. 

Changbin loved Hyunjin's giggles.  
They were soft and sweet, showing the true nature of the tall boy that not everyone always realized because of the alpha's big appearance. 

It always reminded Changbin of the fact, that not all alphas were strong and scary, so not every omega had so be petite and soft-looking.   
It helped him to feel like he stood out less. 

The scent of freshly roasted meat filled his nostrils in that moment and made his stomach growl, reminding him of the fact, that he hadn't had anything to eat yet as of today.  
  
Not that that was something unusual for him or his pack-members but it wasn't something he could get used to either. 

Next to himself, he could hear a rumble coming from Hyunjin's belly as well.

Luckily, in that moment, the other leader rose to his feet to pull one of the sticks, the meat was propped up on, away from the fire.  
With a knowing smile thrown into everyone's direction, Woojin held the stick up. 

“Anyone hungry?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if anyone noticed, but this omegaverse-fic differs a bit from the normal ones that are so popular on ao3. I kept the scent and the physical differences, as well as the Basic character traits, but i didn't include heats and ruts, since im not a smut-writer. At the same time, i didn't make Omegas as submissive either, since i dont totally agree with the idea of one gender being more submissive than the other. 
> 
> Despite all that, i hope you guys can still enjoy this fic, even if ist not living up to some common omegaverse-rules.  
> Thank you for understanding!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the second one!
> 
> I appreciate any kudos, comment and also suggestions of how to improve my Story/writing!
> 
> Btw: i will soon publish a second book, within which i will only post additional Scenes, characterizations of how i imagined the Boys and some informations about the book.  
> For that work, i will also accept suggestions or demands about Scenes between certain characters. Just ask for the desired interactions in the comments!

Lost in thought, Minho swallowed the last bite of his food and enjoyed how a sated feeling spread itself within his stomach. 

Inside his mind, he was still trying to grasp the fact, that, apparently, the younger omega from the other pack had figured out one of his two weaknesses just from his own observations, and, to top it off, within only 48 hours. 

The idea that the brown-haired boy, who was able to rile him up by simply breathing in his direction, for some reason appeared to be a way more dangerous opponent than he had thought at first, scared him somehow. 

Nonetheless, one question was stuck within his head. 

“How?”  
  
Shocked by himself, Minho pressed his lips together. He hadn‘t meant to say the last word out loud. 

Eight heads turned towards him with confusion written all over their faces.  
Deciding to simply go for it, since he had already gathered everyone's attention anyways, Minho cleared his throat.  
Then he set his gaze on Jisung, who was seated opposite him, again close to his leader. 

It annoyed Minho somehow, how intimate they seemed but he blamed his irritation on the simple fact, that the young omega was involved. 

“How were you able to realize my inability to swim?”, he asked, voice clearer this time. 

A knowing look ghosted over Jisung‘s expression.  
  
“Couldn't get over that one, hyung?”, he asked teasingly.  
  
The mocking tone to his voice made Minho grind his teeth together to restrain himself and not throw the pear, that still lay next to him for dessert, right into the other boy's grinning face. 

Woojin chimed in, sounding surprised.  
  
“Wait, you know about that?”  
  
Jisung nodded in confirmation. 

“How did that happen?”  
  
Woojin's eyes switched back and forth between the omega and Minho.  
When the alpha didn't answer, Jisung sighed, adjusting himself on his spot. 

“It wasn't too difficult to figure out!”, he admitted, his fingers playing with the necklace he was still wearing.  
  
“First of all, I saw Minho-hyung at the stream this morning, when I was still up on the platform.”  
  
He hesitated, seemingly shy.  
  
“He slipped once and it looked like he panicked for a second, before he resurfaced again, which was what made me think about it more.” 

Embarrassed, Minho felt his cheeks flare up, hoping the orange light of the fire would cover it.  
He remembered the moment the young omega was talking about, because he had, in fact, panicked, when his foot had sideslipped on a wet stone, which had led up to him falling into the deeper part of the stream. 

Due to his inability to swim, water was something Minho wasn't very fond of, as long as he had no solid ground beneath his feet. 

To cover up his flustered state, Minho let out a grumble.  
  
“So what you are saying, is that you were spying on me?”, he asked peevishly, his lips beginning to twitch when the younger omega flushed bright red, the color so vibrant that even the orange glow of the fire couldn't give him an excuse. 

“No!”, he protested, his hands gesturing around in a hectic manner.  
“I was just wondering what the fuck you were doing, since it was so early!” 

“Sungie, language!”, the blond leader interrupted Jisung's ranting, making the younger boy mumble a faint apology before he went on. 

“Anyways -!”, he threw Minho an annoyed look. „-since it made me suspicious, I went to Felix and ask him whether you were afraid of water!” 

Minho threw a glare in his friend’s direction, who raised his arms in defense.  
“I didn't tell him anything, really!”, he assured, eyes widened. 

Jisung nodded in agreement.  
  
“He only asked me, what made me think so, but since he avoided the question, it wasn't too hard to understand, that he was hiding something!”, he explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
“This way, I knew, there was something worth to get behind!” 

Huffing, Minho played with the pear he had taken into his hand.  
  
“But I could simply have been afraid of the water, like you said!”, he exclaimed, still a little piqued about the fact that one of his weaknesses was out in the open.  
“Who told you that I couldn't swim?” 

A grin plastered itself on Jisung's face as he tossed his own fruit into the air to catch it again.  
“You did!”, he answered, his voice sounding triumphant. 

Surprised, Minho looked up, his pear accidentally falling to the floor because of his lack of focus on it.  
  
“I did what?”, he asked in disbelief.  
  
Never would he himself be stupid enough to let such personal information about himself slip. 

The omega, however, laughed.  
  
“I was only guessing when we were at the stream and I said that you couldn't swim!”, he admitted, hand going trough his now dry strands that were a little curly because of their previous wet state.  
“You only confirmed my presumption when you asked me about who had given me that information!” 

For a short moment, no one said a word. 

Minho could have slapped himself for his own idiocy.  
How stupid could he be, especially right after calling the omega a moron for getting himself stuck within a mud-puddle! 

A loud laugh made him look to his left, where Woojin was seated.  
  
“He got you good!”, his friend cackled, his eyes shining with amusement. 

Frustrated, Minho threw a light punch at the older's shoulder.  
  
“Shut up, I know!”, he grumbled, one arm propped up to support his head with his hand. 

Felix looked at Jisung in admiration.  
  
“That was really cool, though!”, he praised, clapping his hands together excitedly.  
“Can you really tell within a person's face whether they are lying or not?” 

Flustered, the younger omega fiddled with his fingers. “Well, not exactly...”, he defended but got interrupted by his buffer friend, the one who had been on the hunt with Minho. 

“He is so observant it's scary sometimes!”, the boy - Changbin - exclaimed, voicing Minho's own thoughts.  
He took a bite out of his pear, that he had picked up again, while listening to the ongoing conversation. 

Admittedly, the fruit really was almost worth the struggle they had gone through to bring it home.  
It tasted amazing!

“He remembers even the tiniest details about places or people!”, the tall alpha explained in that moment, his dark eyes widened.  
“Jisung was the one who remembered that you guys had first-aid-kits stored away within your medical room!” 

Minho let out a snort, swallowing his mouthful of pear before he commented.  
“Could have guessed that you are the one responsible for this whole mess!” 

Seemingly offended the younger omega crossed his arms.  
  
“Well, excuse me for wanting to survive!”, he snapped back.  
His remark awoke Minho's inner wolf again and he could feel it starting to grow antsy within him. 

“Where exactly was your will to live today while you decided to climb a fucking scarp for pears?”, he retorted, all attention on the brown-haired boy.  
For some reason, his eyes seemed to only see Jisung, as if the entire world around them had stopped. 

With a flaming gaze, the omega sat up straight.  
  
“It's not like I lost my life out there, now is it?”, he spat, making Minho scoff. 

“Right, it was just your shoe, I forgot!”, he replied in a sarcastic tone. 

His inner wolf was almost leaning forward in anticipation of the younger's back-talk.  
Somehow, his inner irritation was now starting to turn into fiery excitement, the longer he was able to verbally bash his head with the omega. 

Again, Jisung opened his mouth, making Minho's heart jump and his mouth almost curl up in a smile because of how much fun he had.  
He wasn't exactly sure, what was going on within him, but energy was rushing through his veins like lava, making him feel as if he was sprinting through the forest, chasing after prey.  
It was thrilling, to say the least. 

Woojin's voice interrupted Minho's high and he was barely able to stifle a disappointed groan as his tunnel-vision cleared up and sent him back to reality.  
Shaking his head lightly to get himself out of his daze, Minho wrinkled his nose.  
  
What was happening to him?  
He simply found the young omega annoying, nothing else!

“Sorry to break up your fight!”, his leader apologized, a warning look thrown in Minho's direction, asking him to behave himself more.  
Avoiding Woojin's gaze, Minho stared at the floor wordlessly.  
  
The oldest continued.  
“But I have to ask: What happened to your shoes?” 

Casually, Jisung made a dismissive gesture with his hand.  
  
“Unfortunately, the huge mud-puddle on our way back demanded a sacrifice!”, he explained.  
"Since i myself couldn't stay, something else had to!"

Chan ripped his closed eyes open.  
“Are you saying you lost your shoes right before the cold season starts?”, he asked in disbelief. 

Cowering, Jisung avoided his leader's gaze.  
“Just the left one...”, he mumbled sheepishly, making the blond boy heave a deep sigh. 

“Where are we gonna get new ones, Sungie?”, he asked the omega, the question rather rhetorical. 

To everyone's surprise, Jeongin piped up and included himself in the discussion that way.  
  
“There are still some leftover boots and shoes within the room where we store our spare clothes!”, he mentioned, finger pointing in the direction of the stairs. 

Woojin nodded.  
“He's right! Apparently, this building has been a hotel or something similar once.”  
He leaned back on his hands.  
“Many people left their clothes and stuff behind for us to find and reuse it!” 

Relief was evident on Chan's face.  
  
“That would be great, if we could have a pair!”, he thanked, his eyes switching between Jeongin and Woojin.  
  
Then, he faced the young omega again, who seemed to consider it the safest option to remain quiet for now.  
  
“Now what do we say, Sungie?” 

Letting out an exasperated huff, Jisung pouted.  
  
“This is the third time today that I have to say 'thanks'!”, he sulked while his hands turned into fists.  
To Minho, he looked like a kid throwing a tantrum.

Laughing, Woojin waved him off.  
“It's alright, you don't have to say it if you don't want to!”, he offered, a warm smile on his face. 

Beaming, Jisung flashed him a grin.  
“Thanks, hyung!”, he exclaimed, his happy expression morphing into a surprised one when everyone around him started laughing.  
  
“What's wrong with all of you?”, he asked genuinely clueless, even forcing a grin out of Minho, who was still mourning his previous unfinished verbal battle with the omega. 

Wiping a stray tear out from the corner of his eye, Hyunjin shook his head in sheer disbelief.  
“Things like this sometimes make me worry about how your brain works, Sungie!”, he wheezed.

The loud booming of thunder made everyone present flinch, almost giving Minho a heart attack and seemingly shaking the whole building. 

“Heavens, sounds like world war four out there!”, Felix muttered.  
His comment earned himself a few judging glares from his friends.  
Unsure, the freckled boy raised his shoulders.  
  
“What? Too soon!”, he asked, voice small, but no one made the effort to answer. 

“I don't think we're gonna need any guards up on the roof tonight!”, Woojin decided to no one's surprise.  
Nonetheless, Jisung heaved out a relieved sigh. 

“Thank goodness, not even I would wanna go up there right now!”, he mumbled, leaning back on his hands. 

Minho tried – he really did! - to swallow his words but they tumbled out of his mouth nonetheless. 

“Well that's gotta say something, since apparently you love being out during thunderstorms!” 

A flick against his temple made him yelp out of pain and surprise.  
Turning his head he stared right into Woojin's chastising eyes. 

“Are you done anytime now?”, his leader asked lowly, making Minho cower a little.  
  
“Sorry, Woo!”, he muttered, his fingers rubbing over the sore spot on his head.  
Woojins finger-flicks really were no joke. 

From the other side of their circle, Hyunjin giggled, his arm wrapped around the buff omega's shoulder.  
  
“You guys are almost exactly like Chan-hyung and Sungie!”, he exclaimed, throwing a glance towards the brown haired boy, who was busy, feeding Chan a peace of pear. 

Upon the mention of his name, Jisung looked up, almost choking his leader by accident because he let the whole piece of fruit go instead of waiting for the blond to take a bite. 

Coughing, Chan tried to sit up to free his lungs again, only for Seungmin to let out a loud screech that bordered on abnormal and startled every single one present. 

“If you dare to try and sit up; I will feel obliged to sit on your torso to keep you down!”, he threatened with his finger raised to point at Chan, who, by now, was turning slightly blue because of his lack of oxygen. 

Groaning, Changbin scrambled to his knees and let his fist collide harshly with the blond boy's chest, which, thankfully seemed to have the wanted effect, since the leader stopped choking and inhaled deeply. 

Once more, Minho was amused and scared simultaneously by how used all the other pack-members seemed to situations like this.

“Would you not kill Chan, please!”, Changbin asked Jisung in a peeved tone while returning to his spot beside Hyunjin.  
“Your time in the leading position will come without you trying to take matters into your own hands!” 

The young omega mumbled something, that sounded like the beginnings of an apology, but Minho couldn't help but interrupt him after hearing Changbin's words. 

“You plan on making him the leader if something would happen to Chan-hyung?”, he questioned.  
His disbelief was evident in his voice.  
  
By now, the blond leader was responsive again and turned his head to face Minho. 

“Even if you don't believe me, Sungie would make a great captain!”, he assured, his voice sounding a little hoarse. 

A proud grin spread itself on Jisung's face, leaving him beaming.  
“There you have it, I'm awesome!”, he exclaimed.  
Then he seemed to realize something.  
“But nothing will happen to Channie-hyung!”. 

His voice was now a mere growl, creating a huge contrast to how smiley he had been before.  
His duality managed to sent a shiver down Minho's spine.

Reassuringly, Chan ruffled the omega's brown bangs, messing them up even more.  
  
“Right! You ain't getting rid of me that easily!”, he laughed before his attention switched back to Woojin, who had observed the whole scene with a soft smile on his lips, that made Minho realize, how his leader was already starting to grow attached to the four new boys. 

Woojin had always been weak for those younger than him, especially if he deemed them in need.  
Minho was pretty sure, his friend filed this other pack under ‚in need‘.  


“We're gonna need guards nonetheless, am I right?”, the blond asked, his fingers getting grabbed by Jisung, who began playing with them like a little toddler.  
Somehow, the sight was endearing, even to Minho, although he tried to tell himself that the warm feeling within his chest was simply the beginnings of a fever.  
Maybe he had caught a cold.

Woojin nodded.  
  
“Yeah, there will be three watches and two guards per watch again, like always!”, he explained, pulling out his knife to cut his own pear in half. 

When the blade reflected the flickering shine of the fire, Minho believed to see fear light up within Chan's dark eyes, but it quickly got replaced by an unreadable expression, that made him doubt that the emotion had even really been there.  
Instead, the other leader presumed the conversation. 

“Let me take over three watches!”, he requested, gaze serious. 

Surprised, Minho raised his brows.  
Three watches meant the whole night. Guarding this long was incredibly exhausting, especially for someone, who was still injured severely. 

Woojin, too, looked at Chan with a doubtful expression.  
“That's a long time to pay attention!”, he objected, his long fingers carefully removing the core of the fruit within his hands without even wasting a glance at his activity. 

Determined, the blond boy nodded.  
“I know!”, he assured.  
“But I've been laying around the whole day, doing absolutely nothing!”  
  
He sounded almost a little desperate.  
“This is the only thing I can help you with at the moment and I can always still sleep during the day!” 

Thoughtfully, Woojin swallowed a piece of pear.  
  
“True words!”, he murmured, before humming in confirmation.  
  
“Alright, you can take over the watches!”, he agreed, making Chan sigh in relief.  
“But if you get tired, you wake someone else and go to sleep!” 

His eyes held a serious expression.  
“I'd rather be on watch myself than get surprised by a foreign pack trying to throw a party in here!” 

Chuckling, Chan waved him off.  
“I think I am a pretty responsible person, if it's about my friend's well-being!”, he replied warmly, his gaze shifting to Changbin and Hyunjin, that were quietly talking to each other, the omega within the alpha's embrace again. 

Woojin smiled.  
  
“Yeah, I believe that!”, he muttered under his breath, quiet enough, that Minho was sure, no one else beside him had heard his leader's words. 

Then the oldest raised his voice again.  
  
“Nonetheless, we need three other people to watch along with Chan!”, he stated, his gaze wandering along the circle they were forming.  
“Any volunteers?” 

Jisung's arm shot up.  
“I don't mind!”, he offered, his other hand stealing Chan's last piece of pear and shoving it into his own mouth before the elder could retrieve it. 

Minho saw Woojin press his lips together slightly upon the omega's words.  
He understood, why his leader was hesitating. 

If Jisung took over one watch, that would mean there would be an entire period of the night, when only members of the other pack would be awake, leaving Minho and his friends vulnerable. 

And although the alpha was sure, that Woojin's concerns of Chan and his friends betraying them, were just as small as his own, he couldn't quite trust them yet either.  
Too many secrets and unvoiced stories surrounded the foreign pack-members for Minho to lay his life into their hands. 

“You were on watch last night, so it's fine!”, Woojin answered, a small smile on his lips, that seemed a little forced.  
“Jeongin and Minho can take over a watch each.” 

He threw a glance in Minho's direction, who could sense his leaders insecurity.  
Nodding, he agreed, Jeongin on Woojin's other side mirroring his action. 

Seemingly reassured by his support, Woojin relaxed.  
“I myself will take over the first watch.” 

Minho expected Jisung to protest, but when he looked over to the omega, the boy had a knowing expression on his face, his brown eyes focused on Woojin.  
It was the first time, Minho saw Jisung so concentrated, pupils dilated and posture straight, as if he was trying to stare right into the oldest's brain to read his thoughts.  
And if Minho was honest, it spooked him a little. 

But only a moment later, the look disappeared from Jisung's face, leaving behind a beaming grin that let his lips form a heart-shape.  
  
“Alright then, more sleep for me!”, he cheered before scrambling to his knees and crawling over to his two cuddling friends.  
  
“Sungie wants cuddles, too!”, Minho could hear him whine and Hyunjin stretched out his free arm to welcome the omega into their hug, giggling slightly. 

A faint pain stung within Minho’s chest, as he watched the foreign pack exchange intimacy, their leader lying next to them, lips curled up in a warm smile. 

Sure, within his own pack, they cuddled, too, but Felix normally wasn't as affectionate towards others and cuddling with Seungmin was like petting a poisonous snake.  
And although Minho had often cuddled with Jeongin and Woojin before, it looked like the hug the foreign pack shared, was way warmer, way softer. 

Less to comfort or share body-heat and more for the single purpose of exchanging love.  
  
It made Minho envious and he had to actively prevent himself from standing up and asking them if he could join in.  
Maybe one day, they'd be close enough for that to be possible?

“What's wrong, Min?”  
  
The deep voice sounding directly next to his ear startled Minho, before he realized Felix to his right, who had scooted closer unnoticed. 

Making sure, that no one else around them was listening, Minho lowered his own voice a little.  
“I don't know, I somehow feel weird!”, he admitted. 

Felix was someone he could talk to very easily because even though the freckled boy didn't look like it on the first glance, he would never share a secret someone had told him.  
He could be as silent as the dead, if needed and that made Minho trust him with things like this.  
Things he'd otherwise never say out loud. 

“How do you mean 'weird'?”, the orange-haired boy asked, his short fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt, while he stared at the side of Minho's face.  
This was a habit of Felix that Minho simply couldn't get used to, even after years of experience.  
His staring.  
It always made Minho feel a little uncomfortable. 

Nonetheless, he answered.  
  
“Like I really want to be a part of their group!”, he whispered, eyes still set on the three boys, who by now were an indefinable pile of limbs that was emitting soft giggles and yelps.  
  
Voicing those thoughts he hadn‘t even really been aware of until now, was weird but at the same time, the act seemed to liberate Minho.  
His inner wolf shook off a big load of tension at least.  
  
Felix followers Minho‘s gaze with his own eyes, before he hummed in agreement.  
  
“I get what you mean.”, he mumbled, pulling his legs up to set his chin on his knee.  
Surprised, Minho turned his head. 

“You do?”, he asked in disbelief.  
He hadn’t really hoped for any of his friends to be able to understand this swirl of emotions within him.  
  
Felix chuckled softly.  
  
“We are alphas. Min!”, he reminded, as if Minho could have forgotten that fact.  
“We crave a pack that we can protect. It's our instinct. And now, that they are basically living with us, our inner wolves see them as a part of our group, too.” 

Jaw slack, Minho stared at Felix.  
That actually was one hell of a lot more information than he could have wished for.  
And it actually made sense, too!  
  
“Since when are you so smart?”, he questioned suspiciously, crossing his arms in front of is chest. 

Felix gave an offended huff.  
  
“Excuse me, did you just call me dumb?”, he asked, his lower lip jutted out in mock sulkiness.  
“I know a lot of things, too!” 

Squinting his eyes, Minho threw him a scrutinizing look.  
“You talked with Seungmin about it, didn't you?”, he then stated, his friend deflating at his words. 

“Fine, I did!”, Felix admitted, staring into the embers of the fire.  
“But at least I went to ask him about these feelings!” 

Laughing, Minho squeezed the boy's shoulder as a substitute for ruffling his bangs, since Felix hated if something touched his hair.  
Some complex he had developed during his time alone within the woods, just like his fear of insects and spiders.

“You're right, I was too insecure to ask!”, he agreed, eyes once again set on the other group opposite them.  
“But I'm glad, I'm not the only one.” 

His attention got caught by Woojin, who was indulged in a conversation with Chan and Jeongin, chuckling from time to time.  
His leader seemed relaxed and comfortable and Minho couldn't help but start wondering. 

“Do you think, Woo feels the same?”, he asked, question directed at Felix, who scoffed. 

“Have you seen the way he looks at Chan-hyung?”, the freckled boy retorted, Minho scrunching his nose at the younger's comment. 

“But Chan is an alpha, too!”, he reminded while adjusting his position by wiggling his behind until he could feel both of his butt-cheeks again. 

Shrugging, Felix hugged his knees.  
“He's younger than Woojin-hyung nonetheless.”  
  
The orange-haired alpha picked a piece of lint off his black pants before he added:  
“Plus he is injured at the moment, which makes him more vulnerable and weaker!” 

Realizing the truth within Felix' words, Minho leaned back onto his palms, an enlightened sound slipping from his mouth.  
“You are right, he probably wants to take care of Chan just as badly as he would want to of Seungmin!”, he murmured. 

His freckled friend made a vary gesture with his hand.  
“Maybe not the same, but he definitely feels protective of him.”, he agreed.

Their conversation got interrupted by someone clearing their throat.  
When Minho looked up, Seungmin had stood up to pull everyone's gazes to himself.  
A little flustered by suddenly being the center of attention, the healer fiddled with his long sleeves. 

“I have something important to say!”, he began, voice unusually soft for his character. 

Wondering, what news the omega could be wanting to state, Minho leaned a little forward, when in that moment, a sharp smell hit his nose.  
It was faint, and the alpha was sure, that no one but him was able to detect it, except for maybe Hyunjin, whom's enhanced sense Minho had learned about during their hunt. 

But although it was weak, it carried the unmistakable scent of fear, letting the alpha perk up in his seat to search around with his eyes for the source. 

True to his assumption, he saw the tall boy opposite him sit up straighter, too, his dark eyes ghosting over everyone's faces, until they both, Minho and Hyunjin, set their gazes on a certain blond-haired boy, whose expression looked completely unbotherd, as if it wasn't him, who was oozing the sour odor of anxiety. 

Confused, Minho cocked his head to the side.  
What could the other leader possibly be scared of. 

Again, Seungmin pulled him out of his thoughts.  
  
“I will go to look for some specific plants and herbs tomorrow!”, he announced, looking around. 

Immediately, Chan seemed to relax, his scent evening out, making Minho frown.  
So the leader had been afraid of what Seungmin had wanted to say.  
Had the blond expected something else to get announced? 

Finishing off his speech, Seungmin indicated a little bow.  
“And I wanted to ask if someone might want to accompany me!”

Short silence followed, before surprisingly, Hyunjin raised his hand.  
“I can go!”, he offered, dark eyes set on the omega.  
“If you are comfortable with me, I will come with you. I don't mind the rain.” 

Seungmin looked stunned for a second but then, his expression softened and he nodded.  
“Sure, thank you for your help!”, he replied before lowering himself down on his sheet again, apparently done talking for now. 

But Minho caught it. 

The glance the healer threw in Chan's direction.  
The glance, that the other leader avoided with his lips pressed together.  
The glance that told Minho, that Seungmin knew something about the blond. Something, the boy would rather leave unsaid. 

Narrowing his eyes, Minho stared at Chan, who by now was talking to Jisung again, a happy smile on his face, that showed nothing of the previous feelings Minho hat witnessed on him. 

One thing, he had to admit: the leader was incredibly good at hiding his true emotions.  
Back then, when the blond had tried to negotiate with them while silently bleeding out right in front of their eyes, Minho hadn't seen it on his face either, that Chan had been in pain.

This time, it was Felix next to him, who piped up.  
“Ah, hyung, there was something, I wanted to ask you!”, he exclaimed, eyes set on Chan as well, who returned his gaze. 

“Sure, what is it?”, the blond asked, voice warm.  
He always seemed so – nice. Friendly and open-minded, when in reality, this boy was a huge mystery to Minho. 

Encouraged by Chan's apparent interest, Felix went on.  
  
“Changbin-hyung said, that you can speak another language!”, he explained, stretching his propped-up legs out. 

The leader threw a quick glance in the buff omega's direction but it held no warning and his voice remained calm as well, as he answered.  
“That's true, my mother-tongue was a language called 'English'.” 

Surprised, Minho raised his brows.  
Sure, with his blond hair, the boy looked rather foreign, but the alpha hadn't even thought about the possibility of the fact, that apparently there still was a diversity in languages here on this continent, that once carried the name 'Korea'.  
Felix had always been an exception in his eyes. 

Now, the freckled boy leaned forward in anticipation.  
  
“My mother-tongue is a different one as well!”, he explained, eyes shining.  
“Would you mind telling me something, in your language? Changbin-hyung said, he thinks, it's the same one as mine!” 

Chan looked a little taken aback to Minho, but nonetheless, he nodded before, without further ado, opening his mouth and starting to speak in a foreign language.  
Minho couldn't understand him, but apparently, things were different for Felix. 

The freckled boy sat next to Minho motionlessly, jaw slacked and tears glistening within his brown eyes, as he listened to the end of Chan's speech, before he answered, using the same melodic sounding language. 

The other leader looked just as flashed, his usually narrow eyes widened.  
It gave him an unusually soft and innocent look, his blond locks only adding to the effect. 

A few sentences and words got exchanged by the two foreign boys, before Jeongin cut in. 

“Look, guys, it's all good that you are happy that you found each other, but we can't understand a word you're saying!” 

Seungmin shook his head in dismissive gesture.  
“It's not important!”, he announced, his focus on his hands, where he was currently cleaning his nails.  
“They are just trying to figure out, how they learned their language and from whom!”. 

Save for the two still talking boys, everyone's heads turned in the healers direction.  
“You can speak English?”, Woojin asked incredulously.  
Apparently, not even him as Seungmin's older brother, had known about that fact. 

Sheepishly, the omega rubbed his nape.  
  
“Well, no, I can't exactly _speak_ it because of the weird pronunciation, but I can understand and read most of it.” 

Stunned, Minho shifted in his place.  
“How?”, he asked curiously.  
“The schools didn't teach it!”. 

Grinning, Seungmin returned his gaze.  
“I practiced with Felix!”, he explained, leaning back a little.  
“And I studied a little on my own, since I found a few books in English, back in the city.” 

Shaking his head in confusion, Minho frowned.  
“How can you learn a language all by yourself when you have never had any kind of instructions or something similar?”, he questioned disbelievingly. 

Seungmin let out an evil little giggle.  
“I'm not the smartest out of this group for nothing!”, he simply replied with a shrug of his shoulders.  
His bubble of pride got popped by Changbin. 

“Sungie can understand it, too, though!”, the buff omega cut in, finger pointing at the younger, who looked shocked by his friends reveal. 

Immediately, his hands went up to make defending gestures, which looked more like he was trying to scare off a persistent fly.  
  
“No, no, I can only speak a little!”, he brushed his pack-mate off, nervous gaze switching to Seungmin, who threw Changbin an unamused glare but a soft look in Jisung's direction. 

“Really, you can also speak it?”, he questioned, genuine interest within his voice. 

Seemingly relieved, that Seungmin wasn't annoyed, the young omega lowered his hands.  
  
“Well, I practiced a lot with Channie-hyung!”, he admitted, a shy smile on his lips.  
“He's a very good teacher!” 

Upon the omega's praise of the blond leader, Minho once more felt irritation start to boil within his guts like fire.  
Somehow, it irked him, how close the two boys were.  
It seemed, as if Jisung worried way more about his leader than about his other pack-mates. As if he was way closer to Chan, while Hyunjin and the buff omega were another double. 

Maybe the brown-haired omega was the blond's mate?  
  
But as soon as that thought had crossed Minho's mind, riling up his inner wolf even more for some reason, he scolded himself internally for it with burning cheeks. 

The two boys didn't exactly act like mates!  
Maybe, they just shared a backstory, that connected them. 

Nodding to convince himself of that thesis, Minho tried to focus back on the conversation going on around him.  
  
He was way too concerned about that annoying omega-boy of the other pack.  
None of this was his business and he rather really needed to work on controlling his inner wolf than sticking his nose into things that didn't concern him.

Finally ending his inner monologue, Minho had to realize, that, by now, Chan and Felix had ended their little conversation as well and had switched back into Korean for everyone to understand them. 

“I never thought, I would meet someone else who speaks my mother-tongue!”, the freckled boy exclaimed, right in that moment.  
“It's like fate brought you guys here!” 

Hyunjin snorted dryly.  
“No, actually,”, he corrected. “it was Sungie!” 

His snarky remark forced a giggle out of Seungmin, and Minho, too, had to control his twitching lips.  
  
He would be lying if he'd say, that he didn't like the four boys that sat with his own pack around the fire. 

But he'd also be lying, if he would say, that he trusted them. 

Minho's eyes wandered over to Chan.  
  
The blond leader looked trustworthy with his warm smile that created dimples in his cheeks and his blond curly hair.  
  
But there was something unsettling within his dark eyes, something that made the hair on Minho's neck stand up. 

He couldn't exactly pinpoint, what it was, didn't even know, whether that feeling within his guts was fear or something different, but it was enough to let him dread the upcoming watch with the blond, when he would practically be alone with the weird boy.  
__________

It took quite a while for everyone to get tired enough to lie down and prepare to sleep, but eventually, Woojin and Chan were the only ones up, the room around them filled with the faint sounds of soft breathing from the sleeping boys. 

Again, the packs had separated their resting-places, but if Woojin wasn't mistaking, the two piles of sleeping bodies had already scooted a little closer to each other. 

Chan's friends had lain down a little offside their leader as to not get disturbed by his watch or make him get drowsy himself and the blond's left hand was unconsciously fiddling with the necklace on his throat, when Woojin approached him, now that he was alone without any kind of other distraction. 

Even though, he looked lost in thought, he didn't flinch, when Woojin lowered himself down next to him, only a meter away. 

“Not staying on your side of the campfire?”, the blond asked jokingly, referring to the diverted groups.  
  
From this distance, Woojin could see, that his lashes were dark, almost black.  
A heavy contrast to his nearly white hair and once again, Woojin wondered, what kind of roots the other had. 

Sure, he spoke the same language as Felix, but as far as Woojin had learned, English got spoken in many places all around the earth, meaning, that Chan's and the freckled boy's ancestors didn't necessarily have to come from the same continent or country. 

Realizing, that he still hadn't answered the other leader, but only stared at him, Woojin shook his head lightly to clear his thoughts. 

What a wonderful impression he made, behaving like an idiot!

“That would mean, I'd have to scream across the room to talk to you and I really didn't plan on waking anyone.”, he replied, a light chuckle to his voice to mask his own awkwardness. 

Finally leaving his necklace alone, Chan nodded.  
  
“Sounds reasonable!”, he admitted, before his eyes suddenly turned even darker, than they already were, the smile disappearing from his lips, as he pressed them together. 

Turning his head, he fixated Woojin with an unreadable expression, that managed to sent a shiver down his spine  
  
“Now tell me, what did you want to talk about?”, he asked, his voice deep and calm.  
“Because I can literally see the burning question-marks within your eyes!” 

Shortly, Woojin felt as if he couldn't move.  
For some reason, Chan's stare seemed to have that effect on him.  
But only seconds later, his inner wolf helped him to regain his composure, straightened his back and returned the blond's gaze with equal calmness. 

It had surprised him a little, that Chan had been aware of his true intentions of taking over the first watch, but on the other hand, if he thought about it properly, it wasn't anything unexpected. 

The other leader had been very observant since the moment they had met, and Woojin wouldn't even put it past him to have the exact same talent of reading people, as Chan's friend Jisung did.  
Therefore, he didn't even bother to ask the blond, how he knew, but got straight to the point. 

“Your injury!”  
  
The flinch, that rocked Chan's body at the mention of his wound, was strong enough for Woojin to see it clearly.  
  
“How did you get it?” 

Averting his gaze, the blond boy clenched his jaw, hand ghosting over the spot, where his skin had been torn.  
His initial composure had vanished.  
  
“I got into a fight!”, he simply stated, obviously unwilling to reveal any further details.  
But Woojin couldn't leave it at that.  
  
He had the safety of his pack to assure, and behind such an injury, there was a story.  
A story, which characters could get dangerous for Woojin‘s own pack.  
  
The simple thought of his friends in danger let his inner wolf squirm to life again and Woojin used its‘ power to fight back his own reluctance to dig deeper in the other leader‘s privacy. 

“Don't fuck with me, Chan!”, he growled, careful not to raise his voice.  
“This wound is not something one gets during a territorial quarrel or a battle for food.”  
  
He shuddered upon the memory of the slashed body of the other leader. 

“Someone attacked you with a sharp weapon with the sole purpose of hurting you, maybe even killing you!”  
  
Leaning forward, Woojin bore his stare into Chan's dark eyes, that had widened a little ever since Woojin had allowed his inner wolf to infiltrate his speech.  
  
As if he was realizing only now, how serious Woojin was.  
  
Woojin narrowed his own eyes a little more in the attempt to make himself look even more intimidating.  
  
“Who hates you so much that he tried to stab you?”, he finally asked. 

Chan's mouth opened but closed again without loosing a single sound.  
The blond was seemingly stunned by Woojin's question, needing a moment to gather himself before he once again avoided his gaze. 

The gesture would normally be considered submissive, but for some reason, Woojin wasn‘t able to see it as such.  
Chan didn‘t seem submissive. Only tired on a level that went beyond physical.  


“Don't we all hate each other in this world?”, he murmured, a bitter expression on his face.  
His voice carried along such a degree of pain, that Woojin meant to be able to feel it scorching his skin.  
Inwardly, he felt torn between wanting to comfort the boy and needing to look after his pack, but eventually, his inner wolf made up its‘ mind with a deep growl.

As much as he respected the other leader and his probably bad backstory, he had duties to fulfill as the oldest of his pack, and one of them was to protect his friends.

Trying to make his point clear to Chan, to get across, that Woojin wouldn’t let him get out of this without a proper explanation, that assured him no active danger from this foreign pack he had taken in, he leaned forward, over the blond boy to be able to look him into his averted eyes.  
  
About to repeat himself, Woojin pulled his lips into a snarl when in that very moment, Chan suddenly whipped his head back around to face him.  
  
His aggressive gaze, tinted with genuine panic, was the last thing Woojin registered in surprise, before strong hands wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing them painfully hard. 

“Wha...?” 

A startled stutter was all, that left Woojin's lips, before a low growl tuned everything around him out, his inner wolf reacting on instinct and returning the guttural sound in simple defense.  
  
His own eyes locked with Chan's dark orbs that were glossy with fear, before he caught onto the blond's bared teeth. 

And that was when it hit Woojin with the force of a truck, what kind of gigantic mistake he just had made. 

Inwardly slapping himself for his stupidity while simultaneously trying to get his own inner wolf back under control, he tried to get away from the frantic leader beneath him, when suddenly, that task got taken care of by a heavy blow, that hit him from the side, knocking him over and sending him rolling over the floor, until he landed on his back. 

Instinctively, Woojin wanted to get onto his feet again, but a weight suddenly pressed onto his chest, forbidding him from doing so.  
Looking up, he could recognize Jisung's frail form, the eyes of the omega piercing through him like two burning daggers. 

“What were you trying to do to him?”, the brown-haired boy growled with obvious fury, but before Woojin could defend himself, Jisung, too, got swept off his torso in a similar manner to how the omega had removed Woojin from Chan.  
  
Another shadow protectively rose between Jisung and Woojin, and Woojin knew instantly, that now, things were becoming more critical.

“What do you think YOU'RE doing?”, Minho asked, his deep voice containing a dangerous edge. 

Reacting fast, Woojin scrambled back to his feet to be able to put his hand on the younger alpha's shoulder to calm him down. 

If there was something, that riled Minho up more than anything else, then it certainly was someone attacking his friends.  
Woojin really wanted to avoid a full-blown fist-fight in the middle of the night.  
Which was definitely a rather realistic option, when it came to two different packs, that both contained hot-heads like Minho and the younger omega.

Before Woojin could say something, though, Chan's voice rose over every other sound within the hall. 

“Sungie, stop!”, he ordered, his tone firm and demanding.  
“It wasn't his fault, he just tried to talk to me!” 

Unsure, Jisung, who had stood up as well, now in a defensive position opposite Minho and Woojin, let his gaze flicker between the two alpha's in front of him.  
It was obvious, that he wouldn't stand a chance in case of a fight, and Woojin was sure, that the omega knew of that fact as well. 

That didn‘t necessarily mean though, that he wouldn’t try and Woojin really wanted to prevent that from happening.  


“But he was holding you down!”, Jisung protested into the direction of his leader without letting Minho and Woojin out of his sight for even a second.  
“You were scared, I could smell it!” 

Guilt washed over Woojin at the omega's words.  
This whole situation was definitely his own fault!  
What had he been thinking? 

Cornering an injured and more or less helpless person was something extremely stupid that screamed for a reaction in return.  
Of course, Chan had been scared!  
Woojin had leaned over him, a growl on his lips and dominance radiating off of him. 

There certainly was no more clear-cut way to impose a threat on someone. 

Pushing the still glaring Minho behind him, Woojin took a step forward.  
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Jisung flinch, the frail boy's muscles visibly tensing up, but he focused on Chan, who was still on the floor, one arm protectively lain across his injured side, the other on his chest, right above the spot where his heart was located. 

“Chan, I am so sorry!”, he apologized, his hands raised to show the other leader, that he meant no harm.  
“I never meant to scare you, I just really didn't overthink my actions beforehand.” 

„It‘s okay! Don’t worry about it!“  
  
The blond flashed him a faint smile, his gaze assuring Woojin, that the boy believed his words. 

Taking in a deep breath before turning towards the omega to his right, who was still staring at him with a suspicious look on his face, Woojin went on.  
  
“You, too, Jisung!”, he said, forcing his voice into an even softer tone as to not edge the boy even more.  
The inner wolves of omegas were often more sensitive to rough sounds, how he had learned from Seungmin.  
  
“You were only protecting your leader, you did nothing wrong. Minho only attacked you, because he thought, you were the one fighting me!” 

It took a moment, but eventually, Jisung nodded.  
  
“Alright!”, he answered, before slowly allowing his tensed-up shoulders to sag again.  
“I am sorry, too. I just thought you were doing something bad to Channie-hyung.” 

“So this was all just a huge misunderstanding, followed by a chain-reaction?”, Minho butted into their conversation, his voice a little gruff from the slumber he had been woken up from due to the turmoil going on a few meters away from him. 

Now, that his aggression had vanished, Woojin had to admit, that the boy looked like a sleepy kitten with his ruffled hair, rather than a dangerous wolf. 

“Precisely!”, Chan answered the dark-haired alpha's question, his arms opening for Jisung, who had snuck over to his leader to cuddle into his unwounded side on the search for comfort after this stressful situation. 

Groaning, Minho carded a hand through his bangs.  
  
“Great, a lot of trouble for nothing!”, he grumbled, before turning to Woojin.  
Pointing at him, the alpha scoffed.  
  
“You should sleep anyways, you've been on watch yesterday!”, he ordered, his gaze examining what Woojin assumed were the bags under his eyes.  
“I'm awake already anyways, so I can start my watch early!” 

Knowing, that Minho was right, Woojin nodded in agreement.  
He patted his friend’s shoulder one last time.  
  
“Thanks for your help back then!”, he smiled, while Minho sheepishly rubbed his nape at his words.  
“It's good to know that someone has my back!” 

“Always!”, Minho mumbled quietly, his fingers grabbing Woojin's hand on his arm shortly and giving it a light squeeze.  
“We're family after all!” 

Then, Minho walked over to Chan and Jisung, sitting down next to them, while Woojin went to his pack's resting place. 

Unsurprisingly, Seungmin and Felix were still sound asleep, but Jeongin scooted closer to him, when he lay down, cuddling up to him.  
Apparently he had witnessed the whole fight. 

Reassuringly, Woojin ruffled Jeongin‘s dark hair gently, before he closed his own heavy eyelids.  
The trouble had kept him awake, but now he felt his fatigue taking over, slowly lulling him into sleep. 

With one last thought about Chan and the knowledge nibbling at the back of his mind, that he still had to find out about the origin of the other leader's wound, Woojin drifted off.  
__________

Awkwardly, Minho walked over to the place, Chan was lying at, to sit down next to him, like Woojin had done before. 

The blond's arm was wrapped around Jisung's shoulders, his hand drawing soft patterns into the clothed skin on the omega's arm to soothe him.  
Nonetheless, Minho received a sharp glare from the brown-haired boy as he lowered himself down beside the two. 

Apparently, the younger had only forgiven Woojin, but not him.  
Or he couldn't be mad at the other leader so he was searching for another way to release his anger.

“So, what an incident to start our watch with!”, Minho chuckled, scratching himself behind his ear sheepishly.  
“I'm sorry, Woojin scared you, I guess?” 

In the leader's dark eyes lay a weird expression, something Minho couldn't quite label, but the blond‘s voice was friendly as he answered. 

“It wasn't his fault, I shouldn't have reacted on instinct like that!”  
  
Within his arms, Jisung twitched a little, seemingly not sharing his opinion, but the blond boy apparently held onto him tight enough to prevent the omega from jumping up again. 

Cocking his head to the side, Minho frowned.  
  
“Isn't the meaning of 'instinct' that you can't control it?”, he asked, genuinely confused about the matter. 

“Right!”  
  
Jisung sat up fast enough to force his leader to let him go, the exclaim leaving his lips.  
“If you panic, you are not able to act logically!” 

The omega's gaze held a confident sparkle, but before he could say more or give Minho time to reply, Chan flicked Jisung's temple harshly, using the younger’s moment of surprise to pull him back into a lying position. 

“Sungie, either you sleep, or you go back to Bin and Jinnie!”, he warned.  
  
Jisung closed his mouth and eyes immediately.  
Minho guessed, that the omega was unwilling to leave his leader unattended with a foreign alpha once more after what had happened before.  
And if he was honest, he could even understand that.  
  
Smiling softly, Chan carded his free hand, that his dongsaeng wasn't using as a pillow, through the omega's brown hair.  
  
“Good night, Squirrel!”, he mumbled, not even getting a reply in return, seeing as Jisung apparently had already fallen asleep within literal seconds. 

Never had Minho imagined, he would think something like the following, but he kind of missed the younger omega, now that he was practically alone with Chan.  
He respected the other leader, sure, but the blond creeped him out nonetheless and he honestly wasn't sure, what to talk about with the older. 

Bickering with Jisung was way easier somehow, even if it edged his inner wolf.

To his relief, Chan initiated the conversation himself. 

“Thank you for not hurting Sungie.”, he muttered, his warm gaze on his dongsaeng's sleeping face. 

Shaking his head, Minho waved him off.  
  
“I would never do that without a proper reason, that only being, if he would injure one of my friends!”, he assured honestly. 

Although he might have been hot-headed and quick to snap verbally, violence was not his line of business.  
He would only get physical, if his or the well-being of his pack was in danger. 

Chan hummed in obvious satisfaction and approval.  
“I'm glad to hear that.”, he mumbled as he finally raised his eyes to meet Minho's. 

Exhaustion and warmth formed a mixed expression on the leader's face, that let a weird feeling of protectiveness well up within Minho‘s chest.  
  
It confused him, because, even if the blond boy was injured and weak right now, he was still a foreign alpha, the second gender Minho's own inner wolf normally should react upon with hostility or at least just neutrality, but certainly not with protective affection. 

On the other hand, Chan's scent also had a calming effect on him for some reason and after everything Minho had to witness in reliance to this odd pack, he chose to better not be surprised about anything anymore.  
Saved him years of questioning and overthinking and therefore kept him from getting a headache.

Trying to keep the small-talk going, Minho cleared his throat.  
“Were you born in Seoul as well?”, he asked, going for a topic that couldn't be too personal in his opinion. 

Chan nodded in agreement while his hand subconsciously continued to comb through his sleeping dongsaeng's hair.  
  
“Yeah, I grew up there!”, he admitted while staring off into space.  
“Went to school the first few years, before Changbin and I escaped from the city.” 

Fiddling with a strand of his own bangs, Minho raised one eyebrow.  
“Changbin was with you from the start?”, he probed. 

It wasn't like that was something unusual, he just wanted to know more details. 

After all, he had met Woojin, Seungmin and back in the City already as well.

Nodding, the other leader shifted on his spot to adjust his position.  
  
“Changbin and I met through a coincidence and befriended each other.”, he explained.  
“Later, when we left the city, we stuck together.” 

Somehow, the blond's voice sounded bitter, despite the information he was sporting not being something bad, and Minho wondered, what kind of memories Chan was delving in for the boy to look so grave. 

Despite his curiosity, he swallowed his questions.  
Some things were too personal for him to have the right to ask the leader about them and Minho wasn't one to push others.  
He rather waited, until they opened up on their own. 

Except, if it was about Felix.  
That guy would probably stay silent about ripping a hole into the universe, if he could somehow hide such incident, and Minho had learned to confront the freckled boy head on if he was suspicious about something.

Chan's question pulled Minho out of his thoughts.  
  
“What about you?”, the blond asked, genuine interest laced with his voice. 

Chuckling, Minho rubbed his fingers across his jawline.  
  
“Same goes for me.”, he answered.  
“I met Woojin, Seungmin and Jeongin while planning my leave from that place and Woojin offered me to stay with his little pack.”

Chan hummed in comprehension.  
“So that means, Felix joined you later on?” 

“Yeah, we met him about two years ago.”, Minho confirmed, lowering his voice slightly, when Jisung shifted in his sleep. 

Guessing his concern, Chan chuckled quietly.  
  
“Don't worry!”, he reassured.  
“Once Jisung's asleep, nothing can wake him up that easily!” 

Frowning, Minho crossed his arms over his chest to warm himself up a little.  
Ever since the campfire had turned into mere glowing embers, the temperature within the hall had dropped a considerable amount. 

Something about the other leader's statement about the young omega, that lay at his side, didn't seem right to Minho.  
A moment later, it dawned on him. 

“But he was the one who woke up first to defend you!”, he objected, a little confused.  
Even he himself had only woken up from the tumult caused by Jisung's attack. 

Softly, Chan once again carded a hand through his dongsaeng's brown hair, which got him not even the slight fluttering of an eyelash from the younger. 

“It's true, Jisung is very hard to wake up!”, he repeated.  
“But he is very sensitive to the scent of others. Although he doesn't have an advanced sense of smell, like Hyunjin, he somehow has something like a seventh sense for when his friends are in danger.” 

The blond chuckled at his own explanation.  
“I seriously have no idea, how he does it!”, he added, gaze set on Minho again.  
“But whenever someone's scent changes because of fear or something similar, he is the first one to realize it!” 

Thoughtfully, Minho lowered his eyes down to the peaceful face of the young omega.  
  
“When did he join you guys?”, he questioned. 

Right now, his inner wolf was as calm as Jisung, not riling the alpha up against the younger and other emotions, such as his curiosity about the omega's backstory, were able to gain the upper hand within his mind. 

Momentarily, Chan's gaze darkened, and Minho wasn't sure, whether it was because of an unpleasant memory or because he had asked the wrong question, digging too deep into the other leader's personal space, but before he could apologize, the blond relaxed again, the weird expression disappearing from his features. 

“Changbin and I met him not long after we had left the city, while we were on the search for a suitable place to stay at.”, he explained while Minho only nodded along to the information.  
“He had escaped from his pack and was alone, so we offered him to stay with us.” 

Waving his hand, Minho interrupted Chan's narration.  
“Wait, so Jisung never saw the city?”, he asked to make sure, he wasn't misunderstanding. 

“Jup, he has never been there in his life!”, the leader confirmed.  
More quietly, he added: “And to be honest, I'd like to keep it that way.” 

Minho didn't have to ask for the meaning of the blond's words. 

He knew.  
Knew how ugly and joyless the life within the city was. 

No one trusted anyone, survival was the only thing within people's heads.  
The war had caused destruction, not only to the landscape but also within people's minds and that fact was still recognizable, even two generations later.  
It was all about, who was the strongest, the most dominant one. 

Nothing else seemed to count to the majority of the inhabitants of Seoul and it had been one of the reasons, why Minho had left the city himself as well.  
Out here, within the woods, life might be harder and sometimes it seemed more violent, but it was in every aspect more bearable than caught between the choking walls of concrete that Seoul consisted of. 

Minho never regretted his choice to change his way of living.  
Not even once!

Another thought, however, got him to focus back on Chan. 

“Where did Jisung, Changbin and you get your necklaces from though?”, he asked with genuine interest. 

The question made the other leader press his lips together, as if he was reluctant to give Minho that kind of information, but after a second of hesitation, the blond replied nonetheless. 

“An old friend of mine belongs to a pack, whose leader had good connections to several places and people within the city, before he decided to leave all that behind.”, he explained, awakening Minho's curiosity even more.  
“He was able to get them for us as a reminder of a favor he owes me in return for something I did for him!” 

Trying to swallow the many further questions rising up within his throat, Minho hummed in fake understanding.  
Somehow he still felt just as clueless as before Chan‘s explanation, but he doubted, that there would be anything good coming from him trying to dig deeper for more information.  
Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder.  
  
What kind of friends had this leader? And what was it Chan had done in return? 

But the fact, that bugged him the most was that although, Chan seemed to have friends out there, no one had helped him with his injury.  
  
It was a thought like a persistent fly that kept flying around his head.  
  
There should have been someone, knowing at least the basics of first-aid, someone to help them through their obviously longer period of starvation, but from what Minho had observed and understood, the four boys of the foreign pack had always been alone, no one else with them.  
  
So what was going on? 

Internally, Minho groaned.  
Once again, he found himself face to face with the high wall surrounding the other pack, build by secrets and mysteries, that he couldn't figure out - something that annoyed and scared him to equal parts.  
Would he ever get to know their backstory?

It worse, would their backstory endanger his pack?  


The sound of a light snort forced Minho’s focus back onto Chan again, who was watching him with an amused glint within his eyes. 

“You look like you are entirely uncomfortable with the lack of knowledge you have about us!”, the blond explained, his voice surprisingly warm. 

Unsure of how to answer, Minho chewed on his lower lip.  
He couldn't just say right to the other leader's face, that he was sick of his secretive bullshit, now could he? 

Chan, however, made a welcoming gesture with his hand.  
“Go on, say it!”, he ushered, as if he had read Minho’s mind, his tone still light.  
“I won't take it personal, I promise!” 

The blond's pushing destroyed the last barriers Minho had had. Suddenly, the words just tumbled out of his mouth, like water after the break of a dam that had kept it hostage for too long. 

“I hate, how I can never be sure of how to act around you guys!”, he blurted out, the next second horrified of the fact, that he had actually voiced this thought.  
But before he could stop himself, his lips simply went on on their own, not caring about the fact, that his brain was telling them to stop.  
  
“And I hate, that I can't trust you because I know nothing about you. For all I know, you could be planning on killing us all, and none of us would neither know, nor expect it!”

After he was done, a short silence followed, within which Minho mentally face-palmed upon his mind-blowing speech.  
He sure was an intellectual to slap those words right into the face of a pack-leader, even if said pack-leader was currently immobile and more or less helpless.  
But to his surprise, Chan simply smiled. 

“Do you feel better after saying that out loud?”, the blond asked, completely ignoring Minho's outburst. 

A little taken aback, Minho lifted his head.  
  
“Well, a part of me kinda regrets it...”, he answered carefully while questioning himself why he, again, was telling the other leader things he never meant to.  
  
But then, he realized, that he indeed felt a little less edged than before, a part of the pressure on his chest being gone, now that at least a few of his thoughts were out in the open and waiting for an explanation. 

Said explanation didn't exactly follow though, with Chan instead heaving a deep sigh.  
  
“I understand your worries and although I can't exactly tell you every detail, I can assure you, that my pack won't do you any harm!”, he promised, voice calm. 

“My friends have been through a lot.”  
  
His dark eyes wandered over the pile that consisted out of Changbin and Hyunjin, a few meters away.  
Minho following his gaze.  
  
“All I want is for them to be save and happy.” 

There was a pained tone to his words and for a moment, the blond looked very vulnerable, less like the proud leader Minho respected but younger, more like a boy his own age.  
It seemed as if, for a short second, Chan had let down his walls, forgetting about his role and his duties, and somehow, Minho felt closer to the leader like that.

But before he could properly indulge in the feeling, Chan's eyes suddenly narrowed a little, as if he was reminding himself of something, his aura then turning back into the one of a pack-leader, strong and independent. 

How the blond managed to pull all that off while he was actually completely helpless at the moment, Minho had no idea, but like a switch turned on, Chan fell back into his old role, his expression going back to being friendly but reserved as the boy build up his walls again. 

“I think, your watch is almost over.”, he informed Minho as if their previous conversation had never happened. 

Shortly, Minho considered trying to ask the leader again, but then he only shook his head to himself.  
He knew what it was like to hold secrets and if Chan was anything like him, he wouldn't budge, even if Minho tried to dig a little deeper into the blond's pile of mysteries.  
It would probably only end in a fight or something similar. 

Sighing, Minho nodded.  
  
“I should maybe wake up Jeongin soon.”, he agreed before slowly rising to his feet.  
A soft groan escaped his lips, as the muscles within his legs protested painfully, reminding him of the last day's hunt and unplanned rescue mission. 

Two days in a row filled with this much running around was definitely too much for him. 

“Sore?”, Chan asked, apparently having figured out Minho's problem.  
He hummed in confirmation. 

“Too much action for my poor bones these last few days!”, he joked while mockingly rubbing his back.  
  
The blond leader gave a small laugh, dimples appearing within his cheeks. 

“I'm pretty sure you can rest tomorrow!”, he grinned.  
The smile made him look a little friendlier again.  
“If I'm not mistaking, the next day will be pretty rainy, perfect to stay inside.” 

Minho took a moment to listen to the pattering of the rain against the walls of the apartment-tower, that hadn't stopped even once during the whole night.  
Chan was probably right.  
Tomorrow he would be able to relax a little, maybe cuddle with Jeongin. 

For some reason, he felt in dire need of a cuddle session and even Minho himself did not quite knowing the reason behind his sudden urge.  
He blamed his inner wolf after watching the intimacy between the other pack's members. 

“Let's hope so!”, he simply replied, stretching his arms over his head and yawning.  
Then he nodded in Chan's direction. 

“I will go to sleep now and send you Jeongin for company!”, he stated, to which the blond only hummed.  
“Are you still good to go, or do I need to wake up someone else as well?”

Minho gifted Chan with a rather scrutinizing look, with which he tried to make out, whether the blond was already too exhausted to continue his watch.  
The leader, however, only waved him off. 

“I'm not tired.”, he assured, a slight smile on his lips again.  
“Don't worry, I'll keep my guard up!” 

Deeming the blond's answer satisfying, Minho waved him a last goodnight before trotting over to his pack's sleeping place, where Seungmin, Jeongin and Woojin were huddled together, with the omega having a sheet pulled over his head like always.  
Felix was lying next to them, a little distance between his and the youngest boy's body.

Getting hit by a wave of affection, Minho smiled softly as he lowered himself down between the freckled boy and the rest of his pack-mates and cuddled up to Felix, who mumbled a few words in his sleep, before he stayed silent again.  
The orange-haired boy's warmth spread over to Minho as well, pulling him into an even sleepier state than he had already been in. 

He was about to close his eyes, when he realized his mistake.  
Quickly, he sat up again, his hand reaching for Jeongin's shoulder and shaking the youngest awake. 

“What is it?”, the boy grumbled as he turned to face Minho. 

“Watch for you!”, Minho whispered, careful not to wake Woojin up.  
Getting the message, Jeongin peeled himself off their oldest friend and scrambled to his feet. 

“Alrighty! Watch with Channie-hyung!”, he cheered in a quiet voice, his drowsiness having vanished within seconds. 

It was a miracle to Minho, how Jeongin never seemed tired if he had to wake up for watches. 

Snorting, Minho decided to change his spot and instead scooted over to press himself against Woojin's warm form, who surprisingly didn't budge.  
The familiar scent of his old friend engulfed him, welcoming like a home and Minho slowly let his eyes fall shut. 

“Don't forget to guard during your talk!”, he mumbled in Jeongin's direction, although he himself had temporarily forgotten to listen for strange sounds, but the younger alpha was already gone, sitting down at Chan's side, as far as Minho could see within the dark hall, now that the campfire had almost burned down completely.  
Hopefully, Jeongin would think of feeding it with a bit more Wood, before it died permanently.

Sighing, Minho nuzzled Woojin's shoulder with his nose, allowing the pleasant scent to carry him into the land of dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope, everyone enjoyed the chapters!  
> I see you all in a week and dont hesitate to sent me some critics on my chapters! I appreciate any Kind of constructive criticism. Maybe i wont Change it immediately, but i will use any Kind of new knowledge for further updates!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the odds be ever in your favor and spare you from corona...

When Changbin woke up the next morning, the first thing he recognized was the sound of the still pouring rain, that sounded from outside.  
The thunderstorm seemed to have disappeared over night, but the weather was still awful and the temperature had noticeably dropped within the last few hours. 

Which was the second thing he realized: the cold.  


Shivering, Changbin wanted to scoot closer to the warm body next to him, that should belong to Hyunjin, only to find out that his alpha-friend had already gotten up and left him all by himself. 

Now, Changbin usually wasn't the moody type of person, but he, too, had his days and today, this seemed to be one of them.  
He felt especially needy and clingy, craving for any kind of attention he could get and the fact, that right now, he was lying all by himself, freezing and lonely, was definitely not helping his current condition. 

Sitting up, Changbin looked around on the search for his pack-mates.  
  
Hyunjin was no where to be seen, probably already out to wash himself clean of the smell of the night, but only a few meters away, Changbin could detect Chan and Jisung, who were huddled together on some sheets on the floor. 

His eyes fixating on his target, Changbin scrambled to his feet, grabbed two of the blankets he had been resting on and padded over to his two friends.  
The stony floor his bare feet came in contact with in the process, was cold enough to cool him down even more.

When he reached his destination, Chan was still awake from his watch and alteady stretching a welcoming arm out in Changbin's direction for him to snuggle into.  
Gratefully, he did so, sighing at the comfortable warmth that surrounded him the moment his leaders strong body pressed against his own. 

“Is Binnie-baby cold?”, Chan asked in a soft voice as his hand drew patterns into Changbin's shoulder.  
A sigh of pure satisfaction escaped Changbin in the face of his friend´s gentleness, that especially his inner wolf seemed to thrive from.

Instead of answering, Changbin simply let out a low whine.  
He knew, Chan would get the message.  
They had lived together for six years now, had basically grown up together, and Chan had come to know Changbin and his antics, just like it was the other way around.

Other than many other people, including his own parents, Chan had never judged Changbin for his clingy, affectionate side, instead simply accepteing him for who he was and Changbin was more than grateful to his friend for that.  
  
And on some days, this particular needy side of Changbin’s came to the surface, turning him into a whiny little ball of fluff that Chan felt obliged to take care of, along with Hyunjin and Jisung, who liked to pamper Changbin just as much.

Now, too, Chan immediately picked up on Changbin‘s needs and shifted on his spot to be able to reach up with his hand, starting to fondle Changbin's nape. 

A grateful hum fell off Changbin‘s lips before he buried his face in his friend‘s side, careful not to touch the injured parts of the older's body. 

They hadn‘t really been able to do this in ages. This, as in just lying around, cuddling, exchanging skinship, warmth and affection.  
Changbin wasn‘t even sure, when the last time had been, that he had felt this...safe!  


Slowly but carefully the itching sting of need for closure, that burned within Changbin, began to fade away.  
All that was left behind, was a warm feeling, that spread within his chest and lulled his inner wolf into relaxation. 

“Thanks hyung!”, he mumbled, his words muffled by the layers of fabric in front of his mouth. 

A soft chuckle let Chan's chest vibrate.  
  
“No problem, Binnie!”, he replied, not stopping the caressing motion of his fingers.  
“Today's a cuddle-day!”

Cuddle-day!  
There were few words with the ability to make Changbin‘s heart jump with joy, as much as this one did.  
He was sure, everyone within a 10 feet radius was able to smell his happiness right now.  
Luckily everyone around them was asleep.  


Only a few seconds later, though, Jisung, who was lying on Chan's other side, began shifting.  
Slowly waking up from his slumber, he drowsily blinked, his eyes scanning the room as he gave a small sniff.  
When he finally noticed Changbin, he sat up. 

“Morning sleepyhead!”, Chan greeted, his voice still soft, presumably as to not unnerve Changbin‘s inner wolf. 

“Morning!”, Jisung returned the morning call while already glancing over Chan's body at Changbin's small form, who was observing him through half-lidded eyes as well.  
“Is today a Baby-Changbin-day?”

That was word number two, that was able to make Changbin‘s inner wolf purr in satisfaction.  
  
Baby-Changbin!  


When their leader hummed in affirmation, Jisung leaned over him and softly ruffled Changbin's black bangs.  
“Do you need some cuddles, hyung?”, he offered with a smile, giggling when Changbin only stretched one arm out in his direction, reaching for him with a needy sound tumbling from his lips. 

The question could be considered the universal definition of unnecessary!  
Even during his better days, Changbin would never refuse a cuddle session! And even less on bad ones!  


“Alright, I'm coming!”, Jisung agreed, carefully climbing over both of his friends before he let himself fall down into the spot next to Changbin.  
  
The action successfully sandwiched Changbin between his two friends, but he wouldn’t even dream of complaining about such a thing.  
Rather, he was beginning to drift into a state of pure bliss.  
  
When Jisung, on top of everything, wrapped his arms around Changbin to spoon him from behind, Changbin was on cloud nine.

The coldness that had taken over his limbs before, was long gone, squeezed out of him by his friend's cuddles and his inner wolf was being soothed by their presence, combined with their comforting scents that reassured him and satisfied his inner cravings for closure. 

Although Changbin was thoroughly rested after the first good sleep he had had in a while, he felt himself getting drowsy again by his friends' touch.  
  
Not fighting his urge to close his eyes, he drifted back into the land of dreams, the ongoing pattering of the rain sounding like a soft lullaby within his ears.  
__________

A shifting movement next to himself woke Woojin up and he turned his head a little to be able to see what had disturbed his sleep.  
Promptly he found himself face to face with Minho, who had tossed around during a dream and was now lying right next to Woojin while unconsciously clinging to his friend‘s arm. 

Woojin couldn’t help a smile.  
Minho normally wasn't one for openly displayed affection, but on some rare days, Woojin was able to catch a glimpse of the alpha's caring side.

Carefully pulling his arm out of his younger friend's grasp, Woojin sat up.  
His eyes wandered over to the other pack's resting place, where he could make out the huddled forms of Chan and two of his dongsaengs, who were cuddling together with some sheets pulled over them to keep themselves warm. 

Only, when a shiver rocked his body, did Woojin get aware of how cold it had gotten within the hall over night.  
His exhale turned into white clouds in the air in front of him, as he threw off his blanket.  
  
They really had to get themselves warmer clothes or they wouldn't survive the winter.  
And they had to stock up on some firewood, in case the snow would prevent them from finding any during the cold season on especially dark and stormy days. 

A sigh escaped Woojin when a mental list of all the things they would have to take care of within the next few weeks passed his mind.  
  
He planned on waiting until Chan was back on his feet again, but they probably would have to travel towards the old shopping center, that was located a few-hour-walk away from their home, rather sooner than later.  
  
Trying not to wake anyone around him up, Woojin rose to his feet and stepped over Minho, on which other side Felix lay, cuddled against his older friend's back.  
Apparently, even the freckled boy found it too cold to stay away, like he normally did in the mornings.  
  
Grabbing his boots, Woojin slipped them on and couldn’t help but sigh contently when his cold feet finally met warm fabric instead of freezing stone.  
As much as he loved walking around barefoot, it simply wasn‘t very comfortable anymore, as soon as fall hit.  
  
After a quick look towards the dark fireplace, Woojin headed over to one of the back-exits, where just around the corner, they had stored some spare branch-wood for their campfire.  
  
Grabbing an armful of the shrinking pile, he returned into the main hall to kneel down next to the fireplace and begin to search the black coals for some still glowing embers.  
  
Having to start a fire again was something unbelievably difficult that could take up to an hour and even though most times he had to do it, he had been warmed up afterwards from the labor of the task, Woojin really wasn't keen on having to do it again.  
  
Luckily, beneath some burned twigs, he found some faintly glimmering pieces of wood which he was able to use as a catalyst for the wanted flames.  
  
Blowing against the embers carefully, while continuously adding fresh branch-wood, he worked on the fire until a flickering orange shine filled the dim room again.  
It warmed his cold fingers and soon hopefully everyone else's around him as well.  
  
Leaning back a little, Woojin carded his hand through his disheveled hair while taking his time to stare into the flames for a moment.  
  
Fire had always fascinated him with its life-giving but at the same time destructive abilities.  
It was the living epitome of the saying his mother used to tell him when he was younger.  
  
_'There is no creation without destruction. Which is why you have to set priorities!'_  
  
Woojin had hated the quote, as in his eyes, it implied that you could never save everything close to you but you would always have to make sacrifices.  
It was a mindset he simply didn’t want to accept.  
  
Of course, he knew, that, although he had hated his parent's way of living, they hadn't been stupid or wrong altogether, telling the truth when they told him that one didn't always get everything one wanted, but Woojin liked to ignore that fact, continuing to try and gain everything he desired.  
  
It wasn't that much anyways.  
All he wished for was a happy life for him and his friends, that being Minho, Seungmin, Jeongin and Felix at the time.  
  
As his eyes scanned the room once more and got caught on the forms of Chan‘s pack, the realization was slowly creeping up on Woojin, that his inner wolf was already starting to consider the newcomers as important to him as well, even though he had only met them two days ago.  
  
It manifested in how he wanted them to be out of harm‘s way as well, how his inner wolf automatically settled down, when all of them were in the main hall together, safe and sound.  
  
How unusual, that his inner wolf of all things, seemed to be the first to accept the strangers as an addition to his own pack.  
  
Normally, the alpha-part of Woojin needed much longer to grow accustomed to changes in his life, especially when it was about things that could eventually impose a threat to his friends.  
  
Funny how fast time flew these past few days.  
Woojin felt as if he knew them for way longer, even though he still didn't know them and still didn't exactly know how to act around them.  
It was like a mine-field, that he had to maneuver around with the utmost care to not trigger an explosion.  
  
The comparison reminded Woojin of his still waiting apology which he owed Chan.  
  
He also would have to find a way of how to get the other leader to tell him about his injuries' origin, but that goal seemed all the more unreachable after the mistake Woojin had made the prior night.  
He was pretty sure, there was no way, neither Chan nor his hot-tempered omega-friend would trust him with such personal information any time soon again.  
  
It was as if the blond wanted to keep his secret under any circumstances and his pack-mates were on his side, of course.  
Although Woojin wasn't sure, if not maybe Jisung would be willing to tell him something more than Chan himself did.  
  
Yes, the vivacious boy was aggressively loyal towards his leader as Woojin had found out yesterday, but he also knew, that the omega was willing to show some weakness in order to get what he needed, a feature of the younger boy that Woojin might be able to use for his own profit.  
  
Of course, Woojin knew how shitty his thinking and behavior about wanting to ‚use’ Jisung’s vulnerability for himself, was, but he had to think of his own pack first, had to protect his friends first, before he worried about someone else.  
  
And after all, he wasn't having any bad intentions, only trying to figure out, whether Chan was imposing a threat on his own family or not.  
  
At least, that was what he tried to tell himself to feel less guilty.  
  
The bad aftertaste in his mouth, caused by his thinking, stayed, however, initiated by the part of Woojin, that hated himself for his plan.  
But he buried those thoughts deep within his conscience, as far away from the surface as possible.  
  
Sometimes, as the oldest he had to do things he wasn't too fond of to take care of his pack-mates, that were counting on him.  
  
  
A shuffling sound behind him interrupted his string of thoughts and made him turn around.  
  
He expected to see Minho or Jeongin there, as those two were usually the ones up the earliest, but to his surprise, a sleepy Seungmin stood behind him, groggily rubbing his tired eyes with his hair sticking up in every possible direction.  
  
“What are you doing up already, Minnie?”, Woojin cooed, rising to his feet to ruffle his younger brother's strands back into their respective places.  
  
Leaning into the touch, Seungmin only gave a low grumble.  
  
“Have to check Channie-hyung's wounds and search for new herbs with Hyunjinnie.”, he mumbled, his eyes barely open.  
  
Woojin chuckled in amusement.  
  
“Minnie, you're not even fully awake yet!”, he chastised the omega before pulling him closer to the fire when he felt how cold the boy's fingers were.  
  
“Yes I am!”, Seungmin protested.  
He blinked rapidly to get rid of his fatigue and prove his point to Woojin.  
“I just need a little time to get myself running!”  
  
“If you say so...”, Woojin grinned, slinging one arm around his brother's shoulders.  
  
Although the omega was unusually tall for his second gender, even overtowering Woojin with a few inches, Woojin still saw him as his little baby-brother that he had to take care of and he was pretty sure that that fact would never change as long as he  
  
Of course, he knew that Seungmin was perfectly capable of surviving on his own, probably even better than Woojin himself was, but he liked to ignore that small piece of knowledge for the favor of pretending that Seungmin needed him at least a little bit as well.  
  
A few minutes after standing next to each other in front of the flickering fire, Seungmin finally seemed awake enough to think properly again.  
Shaking his head a little, the healer straightened his back, rising to his full height in the process and therefore force Woojin to let his arm drop off his shoulders.  
  
“I should check Chan-hyung's bandages now!”, Seungmin stated not even a full second later while stretching his arms slightly.  
The action made him seem even taller.  
  
“Aren't they still asleep?”, Woojin asked.  
With his thumb he pointed in the direction of the other pack, that still hadn't moved an inch.  
Seungmin, however, waved him off.  
  
“Chan promised to keep watch, remember?”, he smirked.  
“I am pretty sure, he still hasn't closed his eyes even once.”  
  
That said, the omega left Woojin's side to cross the distance between them and the other pack's sleeping place.  
Out of curiosity, Woojin followed his brother over to the other side of the campfire.  
  
Apparently, Seungmin had been right, because when they reached the three boys on the floor, Chan's dark eyes were already focused on the two newcomers, silently examining them.  
  
“Good morning, hyung!”, Seungmin greeted as he knelt down on Chan's unoccupied side.  
The other was blocked by the forms of Jisung and Changbin, who were still snoring softly.  
  
“Morning, Seungmin-ah!”, the leader gave back, and Woojin believed to see a slightly nervous expression ghost over the blond's face, but it was gone before he could be sure of it.  
  
“I'm here to check your wounds!”, Seungmin explained with his voice quiet enough to prevent Chan's friends from waking up.  
  
The leader's gaze flickered over to Woojin, nodding in his direction to greet him as well, before he focused back on Seungmin.  
  
“Sure, just let me get rid of those two cuddle-birds next to me.”, he agreed, a soft smile on his lips, before turning towards his sleeping dongsaengs.  
  
“Sungie, Binnie!”, he called out, a faint urge in his tone, that seemed to do the trick, as both boys started to stir immediately.  
“I need you guys to give Seungmin some room to check up on my injuries!”  
  
Eyes opening, Jisung sat up.  
For a short moment, he examined Woojin with a scrutinizing gaze, apparently still a little suspicious because of what had happened last night, but eventually, he nudged a groaning Changbin fully awake and scrambled to his feet.  
  
“Just call us if you need, hyung!”, he mumbled in Chan's direction before he grabbed some sheets and his groggy short friend and left to settle down a few meters away, closer to the warming fire.  
  
Sheepishly, Woojin, scratched his neck. “Guess, I abused his trust.”, he sighed, his gaze having followed the younger omega.  
Jisung‘s last words had had the unmistakable underlying message, that he would come to rip Woojin apart, if Chan so much as called.  
  
A chuckling sound made Woojin look back to Chan.  
  
“Don't worry too much about it!”, the other leader advised.  
“He will get over it eventually.”  
  
Nodding, Woojin crouched down to Chan's left, Seungmin already having shuffled over to the blond's wounded side.  
  
Although Woojin was unsure of how to phrase his thoughts, he would rather get his apology over with as soon as possible.  
Bad blood between them was really the last thing he needed right now.  
  
“Again, I am really sorry about what happened yesterday!”, he therefore repeated once more since the day prior.  
Chan only waved him off.  
  
“I know that you weren't trying to do anything to me and yet I freaked out, I'm sorry, too!”, he admitted, conciliatory tone to his voice.  
“Let's forget about that.”  
  
Relieved, Woojin gave an affirmative hum.  
He would have to bring that topic back up eventually to get behind Chan's secret, but for now, he could make it work like this.  
It was better to allow the other leader the time to build up some trust first.  
  
“Sorry to interrupt your little forgiving-ritual, but I need both of you to work with me here to be able to check Chan-hyung's wounds!”, sounded Seungmin's voice from the side, making both leaders look up.  
  
“Sure, what do you want us to do?”, Woojin asked while pushing his sleeves up to free his hands properly.  
  
Seungmin pointed at Chan while facing his brother.  
  
“I need you to lift his upper body up so that I can take off his bandages.”, he explained.  
  
Nodding, Woojin scooted closer to Chan whose expression had morphed into an exasperated one, as he stared up to Woojin.  
  
“Here we go again, I guess!”, he grumbled.  
It made Woojin smile.  
  
“Yeah, but it's just until you have healed enough to be able to do it on your own again.”, he reassured the blond, who only humphed.  
  
Somehow, Woojin liked grumpy Chan much more than ever-smiling, polite pack-leader Chan.  
  
The boy seemed much less fake during his moody moments.  
More like an actual person than the perfect facade he seemed to have shaped himself into for the eyes of outsiders.  
  
Bringing one arm around the other leader's shoulders, Woojin sat him up, the blond's hand automatically going up to hold onto his neck.  
  
Chan's weird calming scent surrounded Woojin, a mix of the freshness of a winter morning and something warmer, more soothing, tickling his nostrils.  
It somehow tamed Woojin‘s inner wolf despite it not having been defensive in the first place.  
  
The entire spectrum of Chan‘s scent and how it influenced him, was a mystery to Woojin, but he chose to ignore the many questions roaming around his mind and instead relished in the content huffs his inner wolf let out.  
  
It was better to enjoy the proximity he was enabled to have to the other leader at the moment, while it still lasted.  
Woojin doubted, that once Chan was better, the blond would let him get as close again.  
  
Seungmin had already started to carefully unwrap the bandages around Chan's middle, the shirt the blond was wearing getting held up by the injured boy's teeth.  
  
A pleased sound left the omega's lips, when the band-aids finally untangled fully from the blond's body to reveal clean scars, still getting held together by Seungmin's sewing job from two days ago.  
  
Woojin couldn't detect any kind of irritation or ruddled area, something he knew would have indicated an inflammation, so he guessed, that the wound was healing properly.  
  
“This looks really good!”, Seungmin exclaimed as well, finger's ghosting over Chan's skin and making the blond shudder lightly through the touch.  
  
The leader‘s weight was getting heavy on Woojin's arm, so he shifted a little to sit behind Chan to enable the boy to lean against him.  
  
Warmth flowed through his limbs like soothing waves of water, as he felt Chan's body-heat spreading over himself as well and although the blond didn't belong to his pack, Woojin felt close to him on a personal level, comfortable with the touch.  
Chan, for some reason, seemed to fit into his embrace like a missing puzzle piece he had never bothered to look for before.  
  
Even Chan himself, although normally a little reserved towards him and his pack, seemed to relax into his hold.  
His hand also stopped clawing to Woojin‘s neck and instead grabbed the hem of his shirt to enable himself to free his mouth of the fabric.  
  
Still examining the wounds, Seungmin suddenly narrowed his eyes.  
  
„This is an exceptionally neat wound!“, he murmured in fake causality without his gaze shifting from his task, but Woojin could practically sense, how intently he was waiting for a reaction from the other leader. “It's like your enemy was well-mannered enough to use a clean weapon.“  
  
Woojin felt Chan tense within his arms.  
  
“Yeah, I guess they were!”, the blond muttered.  
His discomfort seemed to by rising by the second, visible in the tiny little shifts in his position and the white of his knuckles, as he clamped down on the hem of his shirt.  
  
“Are you okay?”, Woojin asked a little concerned, when he realized that Chan‘s breath was picking up, his scent changing a little into something less calm.  
  
“I'm fine!”, Chan answered, but it sounded like he had his teeth clenched together.  
  
Frowning, Woojin wondered about what to do.  
He absolutely didn't want the other to panic again, but he wasn't sure of how to prevent that.  
After all they were still strangers and he was one of the main people, Chan seemed to be the most uncomfortable around.  
  
In that moment, Jisung suddenly appeared next to him, stepping into his leader's line of vision.  
  
“Hey there, just wanted to check up on Channie-hyung!”, he greeted, waving Chan with an overoptimistic grin on his face.  
Knowing, the younger had smelled his leader's distressed scent, Woojin smiled, as he felt Chan relax within his hold again.  
These two really stuck together!  
  
One second later, Changbin joined them as well, his arms sneaking around Jisung's waist and him burying his head in the younger omega's neck.  
  
Surprised, Woojin raised one brow while staring at the buff boy.  
He had seen the older of the two omegas as the more mature and serious one, but apparently, there was more to it, than what was visible on the first glance, since now, the dark-haired boy let out a high whine.  
  
“Sungie, want cuddles!”  
  
Affectionately, Jisung ruffled his older friend's bangs.  
Woojin could see in the natural dynamic of the two boys, that it was nothing new to either of them.  
  
“I've cuddled you for the past two hours!”, Jisung answered softly.  
“We have to look after Channie-hyung as well, don't you think?”  
  
Changbin turned his face towards his leader, enabling Woojin to see the omega's pouting expression.  
  
“Sorry hyung!”, the short boy apologized, reluctantly letting go of Jisung, who rubbed Changbin's neck in a comforting gesture, something the older seemed to enjoy greatly, as he hummed in visible bliss.  
  
Only when he realized Woojin's gaze on him, did he pull away, expression filling with embarrassment.  
  
Chan seemed to read his friend's thought's as he spoke up right in that moment.  
  
“It's okay, Binnie!”, he soothed the omega.  
His scent reached out and engulfed Woojin as well once again in the process.  
“No one will judge you!”  
  
On his thigh, Woojin could feel a light sting, where Chan dug his fingers into his skin, a clear message from the other leader.  
  
He would attack Woojin, if the alpha dared to hurt Changbin in any way.  
Even if it was only verbally.  
  
Calmly, Woojin gave a reassuring squeeze back to Chan‘s shoulder.  
Never would he shame a person for what he liked or wanted, as long as no one else got hurt in the process.  
  
If he was honest, he was more worried because of Seungmin.  
  
Not because his brother was someone who would judge people for something like that, but because for some reason, his brother seemed to have something against Changbin.  
  
Although Seungmin had never voiced this out loud, Woojin had noticed the grim stares and tightened lips nonetheless, that the healer had sported in Changbin‘s presence.  
  
Even now, Seungmin was glaring into the other omega's direction, looking like he was about to say something Woojin would want him to keep to himself for the sake of peace within this building.  
  
He had no idea, what exactly it was that the younger had against Changbin, but he doubted, Seungmin would explain it to him, even if Woojin would ask.  
His brother wasn‘t exactly the kiss-and-tell-kind of guy.  
  
Throwing the younger a warning glare, Woojin hoped, Seungmin would get the message to keep his mouth shut for once, and therefore, his snark to himself.  
  
Fortunately, the omega only grumbled lowly, instead focusing back on re-wrapping Chan's wounds, so that the blond could lower his shirt again.  
  
Redirecting his gaze towards Changbin, Woojin hummed in agreement to Chan‘s prior words.  
  
“Whoever you are, is fine with us, as long as you don't threaten our pack!”, he assured.  
  
A timid smile spread on the buff boy's face and lit up his eyes as he nodded to signal his gratitude to Woojin before slightly hiding behind Jisung again, who, too, sent the alpha a nod of respect.  
Apparently, with his response, Woojin had gained some points on Jisung‘s scala of approval again.  
  
“Alright, all done!”, Seungmin exclaimed in that moment, pulling the hem of Chan's shirt from the blond's hands and lowering in back down to cover the boy's bare skin again, that had already begun to form goosebumps.  
  
The campfire was still doing its‘ job, but Woojin knew, that it would take a whole lot longer, until the entire hall was finally somewhere close to the definition of warm again.  
  
“I used the old bandages for now, since they weren't too dirty!”, Seungmin continued to explain as he scrambled to his feet.  
  
“After I've been outside with Hyunjin, I will change them and treat your scars with some mixtures I can produce with the help of some herbs I hope to find. Until now, your wounds have been healing well, but I don't want to take any risks.”  
  
Chan nodded along to the omega's speech, when suddenly, Jisung snapped his fingers.  
The sound effectively diverted everyone‘s attention to him.  
  
“I found some herb yesterday!”, he exclaimed with his finger pointing at Seungmin.  
“One that can be used to reduce the probability of an inflammation occurring with wounds!”  
  
Raising one eyebrow in surprise, Seungmin stared at him.  
  
“Then where is it?”, he questioned dryly.  
Signaling him to wait, Jisung bolted away, across the hall to where his drying clothes lay on the ground.  
  
Woojin watched, as the omega carefully pulled something out from between the bundles of fabric, before he made his way back to them.  
When the boy reached them again, a triumphing grin was adorning his features, as he held up a limp plant, its‘ leaves bleakly hanging down like dead worms.  
  
“How long were you planning to leave it on the floor like that?”, Seungmin asked in a peeved tone, while taking the poor excuse of a plant from Jisung, who only shrugged.  
  
“I forgot about it due to yesterday's occurrences!”, the omega admitted lightly.  
  
Seungmin scoffed in response.  
  
“Lord knows what would happen if you ever become a father!”, he grumbled while trying to even out the wrinkles within the herb's leaves, before he examined it properly.  
  
“You are right, though, I can use this!”, he then stated in a serious voice, which only increased the magnitude of Jisung‘s self-satisfied smirk.  
Then, Seungmin looked around the room as if in search for something.  
  
“Does anyone know, where Hyunjin went?”, he then asked, brows furrowed.  
“He agreed to come with me today!”  
  
Clueless glances were thrown around the room, and Woojin, too, had no answer to give his brother.  
He hadn‘t seen the tall alpha at all yet this morning.  
  
Suddenly, a voice piped up from the main entrance.  
  
“I'm here, sorry I'm late!”  
  
Hyunjin stood within the door-frame of the room, hair dripping wet and clothes soaked, him wearing his old ones again instead of the dry outfit he had gotten from Woojin yesterday.  
  
Seungmin cocked his head to the side.  
  
“Have you been outside already?”, he asked the tall boy rather disbelieving.  
  
Hyunjin only nodded.  
  
“I'm ready now!”, he added before shaking his head like a dog to get rid of some water droplets, that were about to assault his eyes.  
  
Seemingly wanting to say something more, Woojin could see Seungmin open his mouth but apparently, the omega decided against commenting, as he only shrugged and went to store away the herb in his hands at the shelf on the side of the room.  
Then he crossed the hall to join Hyunjin at the door.  
  
“You can let Chan-hyung go again, by the way!”, he yelled over his shoulder in their general direction but Woojin took his brother’s words rather personal.  
They made him hyperaware of the fact, that he was still holding up Chan with his full body, almost cuddling the other leader.  
And Woojin had been so comfortable, that he hadn‘t even noticed.  
  
Sheepishly, he lowered the blond down again.  
Chan him with a nod, but Woojin was sure to recognize something along the lines of embarrassment on his face as well.  
  
As soon as Woojin had made room next to Chan, the leader got surrounded by Changbin and Jisung again, both boys sitting down beside him, so close to each other, the older omega was practically lying in the younger's lap.  
  
Jisung started telling some stories and his free hand, that wasn't wrapped around his friend's shoulder, gestured as wildly, as Woojin had observed it a few times already whenever the omega was narrating about something.  
  
A weird kind of pain stung within Woojin's chest, as he rose to his feet, undetected by any of the other packs’ members.  
Somehow he felt like a intruder outside the three friends' circle.  
Reminding him, that this pack they had stumbled across, had never needed them, if it hadn’t been for Chan‘s injury.  
  
A faint movement next to him, that filled the air with a slightly sharper scent, told him of Minho's presence, before the alpha even spoke up.  
  
“Kinda hurts, doesn't it?”  
  
The dark-haired boy's gaze was set on the group as well.  
  
Surprised, Woojin gave his friend a quick side glance.  
He hadn‘t even dared to think that defensive, aggressive Minho would feel anything towards their newcomers but aversion.  
  
“You feel it, too?”, he asked to clarify, only to receive a nod from his friend.  
  
“And so does Felix!”, Minho answered, careful to keep his voice low enough for the other pack not to hear their conversation.  
“Apparently it's an Alpha-thing, according to Minnie.”  
  
Realization dawned on Woojin.  
Of course! He could have thought of that.  
After all, they had taught about the second genders back in the cities‘ schools.  
  
“Because of our instinct to protect and our sense for family!”, he concluded and Minho hummed in confirmation.  
  
For a short moment, they just stood next to each other in silence.  
Then Woojin decided to speak again.  
  
Since he had no idea of how to act around the foreign boys, he could as well ask his best friend for some advice.  
  
“Do you think, they are dangerous?”, he questioned, unsure of what kind of answer he was expecting.  
Or hoping for.  
  
Minho bit his lower lip in obvious denial.  
So it wasn‘t just Woojin, who felt torn at the topic!  
  
“I'm not sure!”, Minho admitted with his gaze still locked on the other pack.  
Chan currently was in the process of saying something to Jisung, to which the omega only grinned.  
It somehow let Woojin‘s lips tug upwards as well.  
  
“Yesterday night during my watch, Chan promised me, that neither he, nor his pack would hurt any of us! He sounded genuine and to be honest, I trust his statement!”, Minho continued.  
  
Woojin furrowed his brows.  
“But?”  
  
After sentences like that there was always a 'but' following.  
  
Minho heaved a deep sigh.  
  
“But there is something within his eyes, that unsettles me somehow!”, he admitted, voice getting even quieter.  
“As if he is constantly on edge, waiting for something to happen.”  
  
The alpha shuddered lightly as if he could already feel someone breathing down his neck.  
  
“It scares me!”, he then murmured, lowering his gaze to the floor.  
  
Agreeing with a reluctant hum, Woojin leaned a little in Minho's direction to initiate a faint touch, that calmed both of them.  
  
He knew what his friend was talking about, had seen the mentioned expression within Chan's eyes as well, but he wasn't sure about what that said about the blond leader.  
  
Was he dangerous?  
  
If he was honest, Woojin couldn't quite believe that after seeing how the boy cared for his pack-mates, but on the other hand, not every villain was rotten to the core.  
  
Chan could have done something horrible and still be a great leader to his friends.  
Unfortunately, evil wasn't visible on someone's face.  
  
Groaning slightly, Woojin rubbed his hands over his face.  
He really wasn't sure about how to handle this situation.  
  
Minho gently patted him on the back in sympathy.  
  
“Don't beat yourself up about it!”, he mumbled soothingly.  
“We'll figure this puzzle out eventually!”  
  
With a deep sigh, Woojin nodded before straightening his back.  
“You're right!”, he agreed, hand going through his hair.  
There was no use dwelling about something they didn’t have a Silizium for right now.  
“Let's try to talk with them a little, maybe they will open up.”, he suggested instead.  
Something inside him - presumably his inner wolf - was eager to join the other pack in their circle.  
  
Throwing Minho a rather thankful smile, Woojin made sure to have his friend‘s attention, before he let his features morph into an evil smirk.  
  
“I'm sure they have some embarrassing stories to tell as well, if we bait them with some of ours, don’t you think?”  
  
By using Minho‘s embarrassment as a sacrifice, maybe he could pull Jisung on his side and therefore rise into the omega‘s favor.  
  
Minho gasped as he realized what Woojin was implying.  
  
“Woojin, don't you dare!”, he growled, forgetting the honorifics on purpose, but Woojin only laughed before making his way over to Chan and his packmates.

__________

Seungmin and Hyunjin had wandered for quite a while, none of them uttering a word, as the heavy rain drenched them down to their bones.  
  
The air smelled fresh and earthy, allowing Seungmin to breathe freely again after having been locked up within the apartment-tower for the last three days now.  
  
Normally, he liked staying near their home, but sometimes, even for him it got unbearable.  
  
Another reason, why he had wanted to go outside today, apart from the fact that he had wanted to collect some herbs to treat Chan‘s wound with properly.  
  
Hyunjin was trotting behind him, seemingly content with the lack of conversation, but Seungmin didn't plan on letting the alpha off the hook that easily.  
He already had managed to find out about one of Chan‘s secrets.  
He would get Hyunjin to talk as well!  
  
“How long have you known your friends?”, he spoke up, going straight for the facts he wanted to know about.  
  
If he was honest, he had been interested in the tall alpha from the other pack ever since he had almost run into him on their first day.  
  
Unlike many other omegas, Seungmin was unusually tall, even bigger than his older brother.  
Normally, it didn't bother him too much, but sometimes, he felt a little out of place, especially now, that there were two other omegas within their home, both smaller than he was.  
  
As long as he had lived alone with four other alphas, it hadn't been too obvious, that he stood out, but now, he realized on a daily basis, how odd he was, and that bugged him.  
It was like someone had tagged a sign onto his forehead, that straight up labeled him as a freak of nature.  
  
But with Hyunjin, it was different.  
  
The alpha was not as bold, not as aggressive as other representatives of his second gender and most importantly, he was even taller than Seungmin, making the omega feel less out of place.  
  
It calmed Seungmin to know, that he wasn't the only one, who didn't quite fit in and that was what had spiked his interest in the timid boy.  
  
“I met them about four years ago!”, Hyunjin answered in that moment, his voice a little muffled, since he was walking behind Seungmin.  
  
Seungmin raised his brows, although Hyunjin wasn't able to see his face at the moment.  
  
“So you were the last one to join their pack?”, he probed in memory of what he had been told about when the other three boys of the foreign pack had met.  
  
His question gained him an affirmative hum from the alpha.  
  
“Wasn't it hard to earn your place within the group?”  
  
Seungmin rounded a bush, jumping over a rock that blocked his way, the low thud behind him indicating, that Hyunjin was right at his heels.  
This question of Seungmin‘s held the sole purpose to find out, what kind of pack-dynamics overruled in Chan‘s group.  
If they were anything like Seungmin‘s parents, newcomers would have it hard in the beginnings of joining a already consisting pack.  
  
Woojin had always despised that way of leading though, and they had welcomed Felix with open arms back then.  
Seungmin wouldnt accept it any other way either.  
He wasn‘t sure, how he would cope with the news, if he would find out, that Chan‘s pack dealt differently with additions to their family.  
  
To Seungmin‘s relief though, Hyunjin was quick to ease his fear.  
  
“Oh, it wasn't a problem with Binnie and Chan-hyung!”, the alpha objected as he caught up to Seungmin to be able to talk to him more easily.  
  
His answer left Seungmin confused nonetheless.  
  
“So it was with Jisung?”, he questioned with a quick glance in Hyunjin‘s direction.  
  
It was rather hard for him to believe, that the vivacious omega should have been the one not to welcome the tall alpha.  
But Hyunjin nodded.  
  
“Sungie and I hated each other at first!”, he explained, a light chuckle to his voice.  
“We fought nearly all the time!”  
  
“Huh, I didn't expect that!”, Seungmin mumbled honestly.  
“You guys seem to get along so well!”  
  
Hyunjin laughed softly.  
  
“We do now!”, he promised before sidestepping as to not crash straight into the trunk of a tree.  
Then he turned his body a little to face Seungmin while walking.  
  
“What about you?”, he asked, genuine interest in his voice.  
“You and Woojin formed the pack, right?”  
  
The alpha's way of saying, that not only his older brother, but he himself as well had started the pack, somehow made Seungmin happy.  
  
Normally, he got easily overlooked by outsiders, back then within the city just as much as now.  
  
After all, Woojin had presence with his strong scent, intense eyes and broad build.  
Whereas Seungmin had nothing but his brain.  
  
Which was more than most people out here could say about themselves but that didn‘t change the fact, that Seungmin was still a nobody in most eyes.  
  
“Yeah, well actually, Woojin and I knew Minho and Jeongin from the very start!”, he explained, shaking his head lightly to get his dripping bangs out of his eyes to be able to scan the ground for possible herbs, even though he hadn't reached the clearing yet where he knew, some useful plants were growing.  
  
“Jeongin and I were childhood friends and Minho was a school mate of Woojin’s. We just stuck together, when all of us decided to leave the city.”  
  
Humming in understanding, Hyunjin stretched his hand out to hold a branch up that was about to slap Seungmin in the face, letting the younger walk on unhindered.  
  
“You don't bother much with honorifics, do you?”, the alpha then giggled lightly in observation.  
  
The sound somehow warmed Seungmin's chest and brought a smile to his lips as well.  
  
“Not while not addressing them directly, no!”, he admitted his laziness, shortly halting his steps to orient himself, before he made a soft turn into the left direction.  
Honorifics were something he had grown up with.  
They were the only thing of his parents, that Woojin had never bothered to get rid of and Seungmin had simply went along with his brother.  
Nonetheless, he didn’t see the harm in forgetting about them from time to time.  
  
However, he had noticed, that especially Chan seemed to seem them rather important with how strictly him and his friend‘s used them.  
  
“We're almost there!”, he told Hyunjin after another adjustment of their direction, to which the alpha only nodded.  
He appeared unbothered by the still dripping rain, that didn't seem like it would cease anytime soon.  
  
Not like it would change anything about the fact, that both boys were already soaked, their clothes clinging to their skin uncomfortably.  
  
  
Only a few minutes later, Seungmin finally stepped onto the clearing within the forest that was covered with soft moss and vividly green leaves of fern, along with many other plant-species.  
  
It was Seungmin's little hiding spot, where he usually came to, when he needed to be alone, clear his head.  
  
Woojin had been here once, but everyone else from his pack had never seen this place, since Seungmin kept it a secret.  
  
He wasn't exactly sure, why he had decided to bring Hyunjin here, since he didn't even know the alpha that well, let alone trust him, but for some reason, Seungmin didn't regret his decision, as he watched the tall boy step up next to him, jaw slack in the face of the beauty of the nature surrounding them.  
  
“You like it?”, Seungmin asked with a proud grin.  
  
The alpha's eyes were sparkling, as he turned around.  
  
“Are you kidding?”, he asked, his pink lips pulled into a wide smile.  
“This is magnificent!”  
  
His reaction sparked a certain giddiness within Seungmin‘s chest and he couldn‘t help but let out a happy giggle.  
  
Instantly, Hyunjin froze with widened eyes.  
  
“What?”, Seungmin asked, as the tall boy stared at him in disbelief.  
Had he done something wrong?  
  
But with a shake of his head, Hyunjin broke his motionlessness to flash Seungmin a timid smile.  
  
“You laughed!”, he replied softly.  
“I like your laugh!”  
  
Hot blood shot into Seungmin's face and no doubt let his cheeks flare up.  
  
He himself was known to be bold and direct with his words, but he certainly wasn't used to someone else being the very same towards him as well.  
Except for maybe Minho, but that guy seldom had a nice word left for Seungmin.  
  
Not that he blamed the older.  
He wasn't nice to the alpha either, them always bickering with each other as often as they found the chance and occasion to.  
It was their hot-headed way of communicating.  
  
Nonetheless, the direct compliment Hyunjin had just made him, had caught Seungmin off guard.  
  
For a few seconds, all he could do, was stutter, too perplexed to form intellectual words before finally regaining his composure with a clearing of his throat.  
Normally, Seungmin wasn‘t one to loose his wittiness that easily, so it personally surprised him, how quickly Hyunjin - a practical stranger - had managed to render him speechless.  
  
“Thanks!”, he finally murmured, for the lack of a better response, before he decided to change the topic to escape his own embarrassment.  
  
“Alright, let's collect some herbs, then we can return home and dry ourselves!”  
  
Without any further comment, Hyunjin simply nodded along to his proposal.  
Seungmin couldn’t help but silently thank the alpha for that.  
“What are we looking for?”, Hyunjin asked a Little later while scanning the plants around him.  
  
Luckily, _that_ was a question Seungmin could easily answer for him.  
  
Determined, he made a step forward and grabbed a well-grown herb right in front of him.  
Breaking off its stem with one swift movement he held it up to show it to the alpha next to him.  
  
“This!”  
  
Hyunjin examined the plant carefully, before he nodded once more.  
  
“Okay, got it!”  
His expression became serious, as he started to search the ground for the wanted herbs.  
  
Smiling about the tall boy's eagerness, Seungmin followed his example, plucking a few more plants he detected to his feet.  
  
  
It didn't take too long for the two boys to fill the small bag, Seungmin had carried with him - crumpled together within the pocket of his jacket - with the wanted items.  
  
A few times, Seungmin had to prevent Hyunjin from accidentally plucking some poisonous ivy instead of the herbs, which he was sure, Chan wouldn't have liked very much on his wounds, but other than that, they were able to work quickly while the merciless rain hammered down on them as if trying to drown them alive, turning the ground of the clearing muddy and slippery.  
  
By the time, Seungmin decided to end their stay, his shoes had already taken on a brown color, both filled with a puddle of rainwater.  
  
_‘Truly fascinating, how boots only become waterproof once the liquid's inside the shoe!'_ , Seungmin thought as he scrunched his nose up upon the weird squishing sound his foot made with every step he took towards Hyunjin.  
  
The alpha was still wandering around, gaze fixated on the ground to find further herbs.  
He seemed to be so focused on his task, that he flinched a little, when Seungmin tapped his shoulder to gain his attention.  
Turning around with slightly widened eyes, Hyunjin looked at Seungmin in question.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
With his thumb pointing in the vague direction of their home, Seungmin cocked his head to the side.  
  
“We got everything we need, let's go back.”  
  
A hint of disappointment flashed over Hyunjin’s face, but he nodded nonetheless.  
  
“Sure, we better get back, change into our dry clothes!”  
  
His obvious lack of enthusiasm for the idea didn‘t escape Seungmin.  
Raising his left brow, he threw Hyunjin a scrutinizing glance.  
  
“You really like being outside, don't you?”, he then asked.  
He had often realized Hyunjin wandering off in the mornings and evenings, just to spent some more time outside the apartment-Tower.  
  
The tall alpha sent him a faint smile.  
  
“I feel kind of locked up within closed rooms!”, he explained.  
His hand subconsciously reached for a bush that grew next to him and ripped off some leaves, only to start playing with them.  
  
“So I go outside as often as possible, regardless of the weather.”  
  
Humming, Seungmin watched, as the leaves turned into tiny green riplets in Hyunjin‘s antsy fingers.  
  
“Understandable!”, he then muttered.  
  
Although he was quite the opposite, liking the safety that his own room provided, as well as the apartment-tower itself, he was very much able to understand other mindsets, such as the one of the tall boy across from him.  
Woojin had hated small and closed off rooms in the beginning as well.  
Although for certain reasons.  
  
The thought brought back Seungmin‘s questions, that he had been storing away before to not overwhelm Hyunjin.  
Now, however, they squirmed to the surface again and before he could stop himself, the words had left his mouth.  
  
“Where did you live before you met your pack?”  
  
Hyunjin visibly tensed.  
A haunted expression darkened his black eyes and for the first time in his life, Seungmin regretted being as blunt as he was, always voicing his thoughts irrespective of the outcome.  
  
The pained look on the face of the alpha in front of him didn't suit the boy at all.  
  
When even after a few moments, Hyunjin didn't answer, Seungmin decided to dump his curiosity.  
  
“I'm sorry...”, he started, only to get interrupted by the alpha clearing his throat.  
  
“It's fine!”, the tall boy reassured with his voice a little hoarse.  
“It's just not a very pleasant memory!”  
  
It took Seungmin a great deal of willpower to leave his lips locked, his nosy ass almost loosing another question, but he managed.  
The desire to see Hyunjin's smile again seemed to be a great motivator to him.  
  
Apparently, Hyunjin seemed to be able read his gaze though, because he flashed Seungmin a faint smile, that didn't quite reach his eyes.  
  
“Sorry, I know you'd like to know!”, the tall boy murmured apologetically while lowering his head.  
“I promise I will tell you at some point. Just not yet!”  
  
Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Seungmin shook his head.  
  
“You have no obligation to tell me anything!”, he replied despite his burning desire for answers.  
There were simply times when the own thirst for knowledge had to go fuck itself, as agonizing as it was for Seungmin.  
  
Hyunjin threw him a look of surprise  
  
“Your brother told me the exact same things two days ago.”, he mumbled as the corners of his lips lifted up a bit.  
“I see the reason why you guys are brothers.”  
  
Grinning, Seungmin indicated the alpha to follow him, as he took off in the direction of their home, rounding the bushes at the border of the clearing before stepping between the trunks of the trees again, where the rain wasn't falling as heavily as it did on more open spaces like the clearing.  
  
“True!”, he supported Hyunjin‘s statement, before he added with a devilish smirk: “But I'm the smarter one out of him and me!”  
  
The warm sound of Hyunjin's giggles filled the air around them again and Seungmin let out a relieved breath he hadn't even noticed he had been holding in.  
  
Contrary to other people's believes, Seungmin cared a lot about the feelings of his friends, and although he knew that he could hardly consider Hyunjin a friend yet, since they had literally met three days ago, he couldn't bring himself to refer to the tall boy as a stranger either.  
  
He simply felt too relaxed within Hyunjin‘s presence, liked the alpha's scent too much to be reserved towards him.  
  
  
For a while, they walked beside each other, not uttering a single word.  
  
Their silence got filled by other noises that tempted Seungmin to listen more carefully.  
The sound of the thousands of raindrops seemed to come from everywhere within the forest around them, like one big concert of nature that seemed to pull Seungmin in like an enticing song.  
  
Overcome by the urge to close his eyes and listen to it for a few minutes, Seungmin timidly grabbed the hem of Hyunjin's sweater.  
  
Somehow, he was unusually confident towards someone else today, apart from his own pack-mates.  
Hopefully, it wouldn’t bite him Innthal ass later on!  
  
“Hey, can you lead me for a sec?”, he asked, not daring to look up to the alpha.  
  
It was something, he and Woojin did often, when they were alone and had the time.  
Seungmin would close his eyes, to be able to sharpen his hearing while trusting in his older brother to lead him safely through whatever land they would be crossing at the moment.  
It was Seungmin‘s way of giving up control for a moment, of enjoying the feeling of being able to believe in him being safe in his older brother‘s hands.  
  
He had done it with Felix a few times as well, and even Jeongin once.  
Minho wasn‘t an option as a candidate for obvious reasons.  
Seungmin really wanted to avoid any kind of involuntary bath or fall.  
  
Why I’m the name of the heavens he thought, that Hyunjin was a good choice, he didn’t even dare to question himself.  
His inner wolf didn‘t seem to be too repulsed by the idea, though, so Seungmin seemed it at least reasonably safe.  
  
„Lead you...?“, Hyunjin asked.  
He sounded somewhat lost at Seingmin‘s question.  
Locking eyes with the ground to not having to look at the alpha, Seungmin took in a deep breath.  
  
„Like, I hold onto your clothing and you lead the way, while I close my eyes. It helps me to listen to my surroundings better and I find it rather relaxing!“, he quickly explained without even breathing between the words.  
  
“Of course you can say no if you don't want to...”, he added, trailing off at the end, almost wanting to pull back from his question.  
  
What if Hyunjin would be repelled by his request?  
It was kind of a weird thing to ask, wasn‘t it?  
  
But to his relief - and genuine surprise - Hyunjin only hummed.  
  
“Sure!”, he answered softly.  
„Just hold onto my sweater!“  
  
Letting out a breath, Seungmin did as told and curled his fingers around the hem of Hyunjin‘s wet clothing, before he allowed his eyes to fall shut.  
  
The darkness surrounding him allowed him to fully indulge in the music of the weather and the forest and a smile snuck onto his face.  
  
Seungmin wasn't particularly fond of the sound of rain, but he did like soft tones and noises, something that calmed him greatly, as well as the presence of someone next to him.  
  
Somehow, this was his way of relaxing, his way of getting the reassurance, that even though he was a weird omega, even though he held a lot of responsibilities due to his knowledge, he was allowed to trust in others as well sometimes.  
  
His peace got broken, when his foot abruptly got held back by something, almost sending him flying, if it hadn't been for Hyunjin, who caught him by the arms.  
  
“Dammit!”, Seungmin muttered under his breath, about to open his eyes, when suddenly, a hand gently covered his vision, leaving him within the soft darkness.  
  
“Don't open them!”, Hyunjin mumbled in a calm voice.  
Despite the rain and the dropping temperatures, the tall boy's fingers were unusually warm on Seungmin‘s skin.  
  
“If you don't mind, then I'm gonna hold your arm.”, the alpha continued, his other hand carefully wrapping around Seungmin's wrist in a firm but warm grip.  
“This way I can lead you better!”  
  
Contemplating for only a second, Seungmin nodded in agreement.  
  
Somehow, he was persuaded, that Hyunjin wouldn't let anything harm him.  
It was just a feeling, and usually, Seungmin never relied on feelings, since they were only chemical reactions within his body, not something he, as an intellectual, found safe enough to bet on, but this time, he ignored his conscience, only obliging to the warmth within his guts, as he followed the pull that came from the alpha's hand around his arm, faintly dragging him forward.  
  
Now, whenever he was about to trip about something, Hyunjin would lead him around it, and Seungmin began to enjoy their silent togetherness.  
It was relaxed and unproblematic, no one expecting anything from Seungmin, and for a short while, he forgot even the coolness of the rainy day.  
  
Although that didn't last long.  
  
Soon, goosebumps began to cover Seungmin's skin, his soaked clothes sticking to his body uncomfortably and he couldn't suppress his teeth clacking against each other from the cold.  
  
Apparently Hyunjin heard him, because the alpha halted his steps.  
  
“Maybe you should open your eyes so we can hurry back before you get sick!”, he proposed.  
Seungmin obeyed him immediately, blinking his light-weaned sight clear.  
  
In front of him, Hyunjin was standing, brows furrowed in a worried manner while his normally thick lips were pressed into a thin line.  
  
“You okay?”, he asked Seungmin, who, by now, was shivering like a leaf.  
  
“Sure, just cold!”, Seungmin replied evenly, but his voice quivered within the chilly air.  
“Let's hurry back, alright?“  
  
Nodding, Hyunjin released Seungmin's wrist and let the omega lead the way while following him right at his heels.  
  
With their accelerated pace, it didn't take too long, until the tree's cleared up again, the rain and the cold wind whipping into their faces, as they stepped out from between the trunks of the forest.  
  
Shielding his eyes with his almost frozen hand, Seungmin crossed the clearing towards the apartment-tower.  
He sighed in relief, when he finally reached the wake of the building.  
  
Turning around to look for Hyunjin, he realized the alpha right behind him.  
  
The boy‘s dark bangs were sticking to his forehead but despite the chilly weather, the tall boy didn't seem to be cold.  
  
“Aren't you freezing?”, Seungmin jittered as he climbed the stairs towards the main entrance with the alpha following him.  
  
“I don't get cold easily!”, Hyunjin answered with a shrug, that Seungmin only caught, because he was throwing the tall boy another look over his shoulder.  
  
“Lucky you!”, he grumbled as his numb fingers pressed against the damp wood of the door to push it open wide enough for him and Hyunjin to slip inside.  
  
Immediately, it became a few degrees warmer, now that the continuous rain and the chilly North-wind were gone.  
  
Nonetheless, Seungmin was still shaking.  
Hastily he started up the stairs towards the main hall, where he sincerely hoped, his brother had kept the fire alight, or else - so Seungminswore - he would skin Woojin and wear his flesh as a fucking blanket.  
After true sibling-love-fashion.  
  
Luckily, when Seungmin reached the door, the flickering shine of the flames entered his vision, letting him heave a breath of relief when warmth crept into his frozen fingers as he entered the room.  
  
So he wouldn’t have to kill Woojin!  
Neat!  
  
The slight sound of steps behind him told him about Hyunjin's arrival and Seungmin turned to face the alpha, who gave him oben last nod before he headed towards the pile of dry clothes he had left behind in one of the corners of the room this morning.  
  
Seungmin would have to remember to thank him for his help later on but right now, his priority was unfreezing himself.  
  
Walking over to Woojin, who had stood up from the circle, everyone present within the hall had formed, Seungmin shook the wet bag from his shoulder which was carrying their collected herbs.  
  
“Minnie, how was it?”, his brother asked.  
His voice sounded as warm as the campfire next to Seungmin and he could feel his inner wolf relax in comfort.  
  
“Profitable and relaxing!”, he answered while holding the bag out to Woojin, who took it from him.  
“And fucking cold! Fall has arrived sooner than I thought!”  
  
His brother threw him a chastising look.  
  
“Minnie, no swearing!”, he scolded before patting him on the shoulder.  
“Alright, go put on some dry clothes! We wouldn't want the only one with medical knowledge to get sick!”  
  
“Good to know your priorities!”, Seungmin grumbled but complied nonetheless.  
  
Walking towards the back exit of the room, he went to get himself some spare clothes from their storage room on the ground floor.  
  
The staircase, that led back down to the lower story, looked dark and abandoned, the air here much colder again than it had been within the main hall.  
  
Immediately, Seungmin started shivering again when it hit his his wet clothes and seemingly froze them to his body.  
  
As fast as it was possible with limbs of ice, he hurried down the steps, rounding a pillar to get to the opening that led into the small room, which once had been a supply closet or something similar.  
  
Now it was only filled with all the stuff his pack had found over the years, including all kinds of clothing.  
  
Scrunching up his nose in disgust, Seungmin kicked his water-filled shoes off, that splashed a little upon impact on the ground, before he peeled himself out of his soaked clothes until no more wet fabric clung to his skin.  
  
Carelessly, the omega threw his used outfit onto a pile on the floor before he blindly went through the stack of spare clothes.  
  
The lightening within the room was so bad that he was barely able to see his hand in front of his eyes, let alone anything else.  
  
When his fingers came in contact with an especially soft material, Seungmin uttered a small sound of delight as he pulled the sweater, he had claimed as his own a few years back, out from the pile.  
  
Until now, the weather had been too warm for him to wear it comfortably, but now, things had changed - especially the temperature.  
  
Choosing a random shirt and some baggy pants he had worn once before, he quickly slipped into the dry clothes, heaving a relieved sigh as soon as his freezing body was finally covered by warming textiles again.  
  
As Seungmin bowed down to collect his wet clothes within his arms, from the corner of his vision, he suddenly detected a dark figure appearing within the door-frame, blocking his way out.  
  
No steps had sounded to announce the boy's arrival, as if he had just materialized right on the spot he was standing on.  
  
It sent a shiver down Seungmin's spine, although he would never admit that out loud.  
  
But since it was an intruder, Seungmin did, what he thought was the best solution.  
  
With a quick spin, he launched his wet pants into the other's direction, grinning, when the cloth collided with the boy's face with a satisfying splashing noise, followed by a surprised grunt from the dark figure.  
  
Pulling the soaked fabric off his face with a disgusted expression, the boy took one step closer.  
  
“What the fuck, Minnie?”, he grumbled while wiping his moist face with his sleeve.  
“What was that for?”  
  
Giggling, Seungmin took his pants out of Jeongin's hands and ruffled his best friend's hair as an apology.  
  
“Told you not to sneak up on my like that!”, he scolded lightheartedly.  
  
Of course he had known that it was Jeongin, who had followed him, the boy‘s scent, even though faint, giving him away.  
  
But Seungmin had always thought of the younger alpha's ability of walking completely soundless as creepy, so, in order to encourage his friend to stop sneaking up on him, Seungmin had started to treat him, like he would an actual intruder in the hopes, Jeongin would get the message at some point.  
  
So far, Seungmin had been unsuccessful in educating the alpha, but he had hope.  
Nothing was impossible!  
  
“You know, at some point, you will catch a punch or something!”, Seungmin warned Jeongin, while he went to collect the rest of his wet clothes.  
“At least Minho will - sooner or later - accidentally hit you and it wouldn't even be that much of his fault!”  
  
Jeongin gave a nonchalant shrug.  
  
“Usually, he can detect me anyways, due to his enhanced senses!”, he replied, leaning his back against the wall of the small room.  
  
Shortly, it was quiet, the silence only disturbed by Seungmin's small curses, as he tried to knot the laces of his shoes together to be able to carry them better.  
But then, Jeongin hesitantly spoke up.  
  
“He's not what he makes us think he is, is he?”, the alpha asked.  
  
He didn’t have to explain his question further, for Seungmin halted his actions, knowing exactly, whom his friend was talking about.  
  
His thoughts wandered back to yesterday, to his talk with Chan, to be precise. 

_____  
(Flashback)

_Seungmin wasn't sure of his assumption, but he had to ask the blond boy anyways.  
  
Maybe, it was his thirst for knowledge or his longing for security, but the fact, that his brain and his guts were simultaneously telling him, that the other leader's second gender couldn't be the one of an alpha, was driving him insane.  
  
Ever since his operation on the injured boy, Seungmin had buried his doubts deep within his conscience in the attempt to ignore them for the time being, but he had never been of the patient type.  
  
So when he finally got some alone-time with Chan, he couldn't stop himself any longer.  
  
If he was honest, he was scared.  
Not much, just a little - of what the blond would do to him if Seungmin's thesis was correct.  
But it wasn't enough fear to stop him from pulling through with his plan.  
  
“Say, Chan-hyung...”, he started after calming the leader's outburst, using honorifics on purpose to not anger the boy unnecessarily.  
  
His words got stuck in his throat for a moment, as he tried to find the right phrasing, something that didn't sound threatening to Chan.  
  
His hesitation seemed to spike some kind of motherly instinct in the other leader, as he softly placed his hand on Seungmin's thigh, throwing him a warm look, that made the omega relax instantly.  
  
The leader couldn't be so bad, if he was this kind, right?  
And also, he was still injured severely.  
  
Concluding, that he would most probably survive his question, Seungmin took in a deep breath and proceeded.  
  
He could see, how Chan froze when Seungmin asked for his second gender, could see the panic in the blond's eyes, when Seungmin told him, that he knew that he wasn't an alpha.  
  
On his knee, the healer could feel the other boy's grip tighten slightly, before the warmth of Chan's hand disappeared, him wrapping his arms around himself like a shield.  
  
“I don't know what you're talking about!”, the leader answered, voice strained and his gaze so dark, that it scared Seungmin for a second.  
But now, that he had asked the question already, he would get his information!  
  
“Don't play with me, Hyung!”, he mumbled with a glimpse thrown over his shoulder, although he knew, that Woojin and Jeongin would be gone for a while, unable to hear them, even if they would shout their conversation out loud.  
  
“I'm not stupid! You might be able to fool my pack-mates, but I have studied all this crap! Something's not normal about you and I am determined to find out, what!”  
  
For a second, Chan looked like he would deny it again, but then, his tensed shoulders slumped, all the fight bleeding out of the leader.  
  
“You're right!”, he answered with a tired voice, dark eyes exhausted and bitter.  
“I'm not your normal alpha!”  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Seungmin stared down at the boy.  
“But you are an alpha?”, he probed.  
  
Looking around in visible suspicion, Chan ruffled his hair with one hand, messing up his curls even more.  
Then his gaze focused back on Seungmin.  
  
“Promise me, you won't tell anyone, if I explain it to you!”  
  
Shortly, Seungmin hesitated.  
His loyalty belonged to his pack and especially his brother, not some random dude he had just met and stitched his ass back together.  
  
But after a moment of contemplation, his curiosity won over his doubts.  
  
“If it doesn't endanger the well-being of me or my pack-mates, I promise!”, he assured, leaning forward a bit.  
  
Chan nodded.  
  
“That will do!”, he mumbled._

_____

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Seungmin set his gaze on Jeongin, his clothes and shoes finally all safely stored within his arms.  
  
“He sure has some secrets!”, he only answered, trying to pass his friend to get back to the staircase, but Jeongin stepped into his way, hindering him from leaving.  
  
“What did he tell you?”, the alpha demanded to know, his dark eyes sharp.  
  
Jeongin had never been good at trusting strangers, and even though he seemed to get along fine with the blond leader, Seungmin knew how much it bugged his friend, that he couldn't assess the boy's character completely.  
  
Chan always seemed to be carrying some secrets along with him, hidden in the depths of his black orbs.  
  
His own gaze softening, Seungmin cocked his head to the side.  
  
“I can't tell you, Innie!”, he apologized.  
“I promised him to keep a secret whatever he would tell me, as long as it wouldn't endanger my pack!”  
  
First, Jeongin didn't look like he would budge, muscles still tense and expression dark, but then he relaxed a little.  
  
“Fine!”, he sighed, freeing the way for Seungmin to pass, who proceeded with exiting the room.  
  
Jeongin followed him closely.  
  
“I don't trust him, but I do trust you!”, he eventually grumbled quietly.  
  
Starting his way back up the stairs, Seungmin grinned.  
  
“Aww, that's too kind of you, Innie!”, he mocked, earning himself a light jab to his back that only made him giggle more.  
  
“Shut your mouth and move your butt up those steps, I'm cold!”, Jeongin whined from behind Seungmin, who threw his younger friend a judging look over his shoulder.  
  
“Yah! Watch it, I'm still older than you!”, he threatened jokingly, Jeongin only rolling his eyes at him.  
He seemed honorifics similarly important as Seingmin did.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, fine, whatever!”, he muttered.  
“Could you please hurry, HYUNG?”  
  
Feeling the wetness of the pile within his arms seeping through his momentary clothing, Seungmin actually picked up his pace.  
  
“Fine, let's go eat something!”, he exclaimed, Jeongin humming in affirmation, before both boys reached the second floor, entering the main hall again to join the two packs around the fire.

__________

Thoughtfully, Jeongin stared upwards into the darkness, his eyes following the lines of the pictures on the ceiling, that were barely visible with the campfire being a mere little flame by now.  
  
Their group had gone to sleep, except for Hyunjin and Woojin, who were on watch right now, since the rain had ceased a bit over the last few hours.  
  
Actually, Jeongin should be sleeping by now, since Woojin had told him, that they needed to stock up on firewood tomorrow, but for some reason, Jeongin couldn't find rest.  
  
Seungmin's words were ghosting through his mind over and over again and wouldn't let him fall asleep.  
  
_‚I promised him to keep a secret whatever he would tell me, as long as it wouldn't endanger my pack!‘_  
  
Of course, Jeongin trusted Seungmin.  
Hell, he and the omega had known each other practically since birth!  
They had been inseparable for years and whatever Seungmin had went through, Jeongin had experienced, too.  
  
To him, his best friend was like the brother he had never had and Jeongin would never doubt the boy's loyalty.  
  
If Seungmin said, that the secret he knew about Chan, wouldn't endanger their pack, then Jeongin knew, that it was true.  
  
But despite that, it bugged him.  
  
Chan was one of the first people, that he found himself trusting pretty easily.  
  
Only three days had passed since their first meeting and Jeongin already felt comfortable around the blond.  
He was funny and yet experienced, always able to tell Jeongin another story he hadn't heard yet, mentally taking him to places, Jeongin had never seen before.  
  
Nonetheless, Jeongin could see the dark shadows within the other leader's eyes, could detect the boy's nervous glances towards the entrance of the main hall, or his flinch, when someone of Jeongin's pack actually managed to surprise him.  
  
Whatever – or rather whoever – had left those horribly wounds on Chan's body, had not only scarred him physically.  
  
And Jeongin feared, that Chan's demons could come to haunt him again.  
  
What if they were followed? What if there was something out there, that wanted the blond dead?  
And if yes, for what reason?  
  
A sudden noise got Jeongin to abandon his thoughts and grow alert.  
  
Heart picking up its pace, Jeongin held his breath to listen to the silence around him.  
  
The sound had been like a cry, a quiet whimper, as if the responsible person was in pain!  
Person, because Jeongin was pretty sure, that no animal was able to make such noises.  
  
Beside him, Seungmin and Minho were deeply asleep, the two boys tangled up within each other with Seungmin's blanket draped over them as protection against the cold.  
  
It forced a smile out of Jeongin despite his situation.  
The healer and the snappy alpha were always at each other's throats, pretending they couldn't stand the other, when in the end, they were just as close as everyone else within their little pack.  
  
Again, the cry reached Jeongin's ears and he carefully rolled onto his stomach to be able to let his gaze wander through the main hall without having to sit up properly.  
  
A few meters away from him, he could detect the pile of bodies, that was Chan's pack, all huddled together against the cold.  
  
Jeongin was about to move on from the sight, when suddenly, a motion caught his eye, encouraging him to squint a bit to be able to see better within the dark.  
  
Another small cry could be heard, then Jeongin could make out someone thrashing around on the sheets that marked the other pack's resting place.  
  
What was going on?  
  
Seconds later, Jeongin's brain clicked almost audibly.  
  
Someone of the other pack was having a nightmare!  
  
Sympathy washed through his veins, as he stared at the moving figure, that was now emitting soft whimpers.  
  
Jeongin himself knew exactly, how bad nightmares could get since he had lived through a lot of them after his mother's death.  
Which was why his next decision came easy.  
  
Someone needed to help!  
  
Jeongin was about to shrug his own blanket off, when suddenly, another part of the other pack's pile started moving.  
  
Although the person didn't sit up, Jeongin was easily able to recognize the form that let him freeze in his spot again.  
  
“Changbin!“  
  
Chan's voice was barely audible for Jeongin, since he was further away, but he managed to make out the words, the blond leader was uttering towards a now squirming Changbin.  
  
“Sungie's having a nightmare! You need to get him out of here!”  
  
The leader's tone sounded insistent and also a little bitter and pained.  
  
Jeongin furrowed his brows.  
  
Why would Jisung have to leave the building because of a nightmare?  
  
Other than Jeongin, Changbin seemed to understand the situation immediately, because the short omega didn't hesitate for even a second to scramble to his feet and lift the slightly thrashing, but seemingly still unconscious Jisung up into his arms.  
Then he bolted off towards the exit with his steps as silent as possible.  
  
Only a moment later, the two omegas vanished into the darkness of the staircase.  
  
Jeongin was beyond confused.  
  
Why had Changbin carried Jisung out of the room?  
What was going on?  
Had Chan been scared of waking any of Jeongin's pack up?  
Or was there something more, that he was hiding?  
  
Confusion embracing him tightly, Jeongin decided to wait.  
  
He was too shy to get up and ask Chan directly, so all he could do, was to wait for Changbin and Jisung to get back.  
Not that he would have been able to sleep now anyway!  
  
Despite those words, Jeongin's eyelids grew unbelievably heavy and his head fuzzy from fatigue, before finally, his half-asleep brain was able to register some sounds again.  
  
He wasn't sure, how much time had passed, but it couldn't have been less than half an hour, when Changbin's figure stepped back into the room, Jisung's frailer one right behind him.  
  
A sour stench of fear and sweat reached Jeongin's nostrils, making him scrunch up his nose a bit.  
  
What had happened out there?  
  
Silently, the two omegas made their way back to their resting place, where Chan apparently had stayed awake to wait for them as well, because when the boys reached there, Jeongin was able to hear the blond's faint voice again.  
  
“Sungie, how are you feeling?”  
  
Chan sounded worried and soft, like a concerned brother, and Jeongin assumed, that that wasn't even that far off from the truth.  
  
“Been better!”, came Jisung's slightly muffled reply back.  
Jeongin could have sworn, the omega's voice was shaking.  
  
“What's your color?”  
  
That question made Jeongin frown.  
Color? What did Chan mean with color?  
  
The whole situation was getting weirder, when Jisung didn't seem to get thrown off by the words at all, only muttering a small “Green!”, before he lowered himself onto the sheets again, seemingly cuddling up to Chan, judging by the sounds of shuffling.  
“Sorry hyung, I didn't think, it would happen tonight!”  
  
Jeongin didn't understand a single thing anymore.  
  
Chan hummed comfortingly, his other arm reaching out for Changbin, who joined his friend‘s back on the sheets.  
Soon they were an unidentifiable pile for Jeongin.  
  
“That is not something you can control, Sungie!”, the leader whispered, his words fading a little, the lower he spoke.  
“So don't apologize!”  
  
A silent sniffle was all he got in return.  
  
A few moments, no one said a word, and Jeongin already believed, the other pack had gone back to sleep, when suddenly, Chan spoke up once more.  
  
“Thank you for taking care of this all on your own, Binnie! I'm sorry I wasn't able to help!”  
  
The dark pile of the other group moved a little before Changbin's rough voice could be heard.  
  
“You said it yourself, idiot, this is nothing you can control either! Now sleep and heal!”  
  
“Will do, Bin!”, Chan gave back, before silence wrapped around the main hall again, only interrupted by faint breaths from everyone present.  
  
Head spinning, Jeongin turned back around to stare at the ceiling again, when he was sure, that nothing more would occure.  
  
What had just happened?  
  
Jisung had had a nightmare! Changbin had brought him outside, probably to calm down.  
  
Although Jeongin still found it a bit weird, now that he thought about it, he couldn't exactly see, why he should worry about any of that.  
  
His inner wolf was thrashing inside him, apparently having a different opinion, but Jeongin was growing too tired to deal with that.  
  
He still felt uneasy and he was sure to talk about this with Seungmin later on, but right now, it somehow made enough sense to not bug him any longer.  
  
Jisung probably screamed during his nightmares or something.  
  
Chan, as the pack-leader, probably just hadn't wanted to show any more weakness to Jeongin and his friends!  
  
Thinking it over and over again to convince himself of that solution, Jeongin finally let his heavy eyelids fall shut.  
  
He could wonder about that more during daytime.  
Maybe even tell Woojin about it tomorrow.  
But now was time to sleep!  
  
That was his last thought, before his dreams caught a hold of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was a long one!  
> Hope you guys are satisfied with the interactions.  
> I made sure to include some slight Woochan and a little bit of Seungjin, as well as some of the more platonic ships.
> 
> Oh, and a little of soft Binnie! I first wrote the chapter, before Changbin decided to go and buff up the way he did, so he appears a little...smaller in this fix, but I hope it’s okay with you guys.  
> They are all younger than in canon anyways so it kinda fits.  
> I’ll post the second chapter later, because I gotta walk my dog first now.  
> It’s gonna be a little shorter as well, since it’s a filler chapter after this long one. But it contains Jilix, so I hope it will be fun to read.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any comments and kudos!  
> Criticism is always appreciated too!  
> Have a nice day!>.<


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the second chapter for today!  
> This one is a Little shorter than the normal ones, since it is only a filler chapter before there follows a short time skip.  
> I used Jilix interaction for this one, since i love writing about the both of them being crackheads together, and i hope, you will have as much fun reading this, as i had writing it.  
> Enjoy the light-heartedness before the heavy plot Returns!;)
> 
> Just kidding, despite the kinda dark plot, there will still be a lot more fluffy/(attempted) funny moments!
> 
> Thank you for your Support!

Felix was bored. 

This morning, Woojin had gathered Minho, Jeongin, Changbin and Hyunjin and taken them out to collect wood for their fireplace, since their stocks were running low. 

The rain of the past day had finally stopped over night, the sun timidly blinking through holes within the blanket of clouds, that covered the sky and the only evidence, that a storm had raged here at all, were the thousands of water-droplets, that covered everything - the trees, the leaves, the grass, the flowers -letting them sparkle whenever a stray ray of sunlight found it's way to the earth's ground. 

It was truly a beautiful sight to see, and Felix would have loved to join his pack, since, for once, the group activity wasn't going for a hunt. 

Or at least not a hunt for meat. 

But unfortunately, him and Jisung had gotten grounded.  
Both of them were on duty of staying at the apartment-tower and guard it, along with Seungmin, who was currently treating Chan's healing wounds with an ointment, he had made from the herbs, him and Hyunjin had collected one day prior. 

The healer was silently talking to Chan, who seemed unusually relaxed and Felix would have liked to join their conversation, but somehow, he felt like an intruder at the thought of disturbing them. 

Rising from his spot on one of the blankets, Felix walked towards the faintly glowing fireplace.  
Since the rain had stopped, the temperature had risen a few degrees again, and they weren‘t forced to keep the flames alive at all times anymore to not freeze to death. 

Now, within the circle of stones, only ashes and a few embers were left, shining in a faint orange tone.  
To not let the flames die out completely, Felix grabbed some of the leftover branches, that Woojin had placed beside the stone-circle and threw them on top of the remains of the campfire, before he decided to search for Jisung. 

The omega had left the building a little while ago under the pretense of wanting to enjoy the fresh air, but hadn't come back in even once as of yet.  
Felix was sure though, the vivacious boy wouldn't dump him to go on a secret adventure. 

Even though Jisung often made rash decisions, as he had learned, the boy took his responsibilities serious.

Jumping down the stairs towards the main entrance, Felix quickly pulled the rolled up sleeves of his sweater down.  
The temperature might have risen, but that didn't mean, it wasn’t noticeable that fall had arrived. 

When he pulled open the main door, he got proven right, as chilly air welcomed him, carrying the fresh scent of the colder seasons, that were about to come. 

Shuddering, Felix crossed his arms, as he stepped down onto the grass covered soil.  
Woojin would probably want to make his trip rather soon, if the temperatures would continue to decrease at this rate.  
Felix gave it up to three more weeks at best, before the trees around them would be fully cloaked in the bright colors of fall.  
  
His gaze wandered along the still mostly green tree-line, that constituted the border of the forest around him, but all he spotted was a small group of birds, that were searching the field for food.  
Not an ounce of a clue from Jisung.

Frowning, Felix turned to his right to walk around the building to the northern side of the clearing.  
  
Where was that guy?  
He couldn’t have run off, now could he?  
  
The mist, that had hung over the field this morning, had vanished, but the dew, covering the grassy ground, still hadn't dried up, soaking Felix shoes as he walked through it. 

It wasn‘t exactly the most pleasant feeling, but Felix disregarded it in the face of the sound, that he managed to pick up in that moment.  
  
It had come from behind the building!  
Ignoring his wet shoes, Felix strove towards the disturbance of the silent atmosphere around him.  
  
He was rather sure, that the culprit was Jisung, but he also felt certain, that the omega was onto something troublesome again.  
Judging by the audible exasperation of the prior call, whatever it was, didn‘t seem to be working out in Jisung‘s favor.  


The closer Felix got to the back of the apartment-tower, the more he started to detect other faint noises and sounds, that got louder with his every step.  
  
They also became more understandable.  
  
„Fuckedy fuck, fuck!“  
  
Okay, Jisung‘s whatever-it-was-plan really didn’t seem to cooperate with him.  
  
Curious, Felix rounded the corner of the building, only to be greeted by a very questionable sight, to say the least. 

There was Jisung, hanging upside down by one foot from a few thicker branches of the old oak that grew here, wildly swinging from one side to the other while successlessly trying to grab anything, that could have helped him back into an upright position. 

More curses were falling from the omega's lips without end and he didn't seem to have noticed Felix just yet, who had halted his steps a few meters away from the tree.  
  
Jisung looked completely bonkers and Felix couldn't help but let out a small giggle, that even he thought, didn't match his usually deep voice at all. 

“Jisung, what in the name of the heavens above are you doing there?”, he asked while attempting his best to suppress the amusement within his tone.  
It wasn‘t working very well, if he had to admit it.  
But who could blame him in the face of the sight right in front of him?  
  
Upon hearing his words, Jisung stopped his struggling, turning his head a little to be able look Felix in the eyes. 

He looked like a deer caught in headlights before he put on an incredibly bright - and very much fake - smile.  


“Hey Lix!”, he greeted casually, as if he weren't currently hanging down from a tree, completely helpless.  
Then he continued to answer Felix question.  
“You know, just hanging...” 

He swayed a little from the left to the right, looking utterly ridiculous in the process.  
“Thought, I'd try something new...” 

“You're stuck, aren't you?”, Felix deadpanned, scoffing a little at the omega's bad attempt of trying to cover up his miserable situation. 

And in order to swallow down his own grin.  


The optimistic look on Jisung's face immediately disappeared, only leaving desperate doe-eyes behind.  
  
“Please help meeee...!”, he begged, apparently having given up on his pride already. 

Smirking, Felix shifted his weight from one foot to the other.  
  
“Maybe I should get Minho for that!”, he mocked and finally allowed himself to crack up with laughter, when Jisung very obviously started to panic. 

“NO! No, no, no, no, no!”, the brown-haired boy shouted, throwing his arms around hysterically, which kind of gave him the look of a hectic chicken.  
It only intensified Felix laughing fit.  
“He will never let me forget it, if he finds out, I got myself stuck again!” 

Clasping his hands together in a praying gesture, Jisung twisted his whole body around to be able to look at Felix pleadingly.  
  
“Please help me out! You'll get to watch me fall head first to the ground, once you get my foot free!” 

Still laughing, Felix uncrossed his arms before slowly making his way towards the oak's trunk. 

“I'm not as sadistic as Minho!”, he defended himself through a few leftover snickers, even though the imagination of Jisung hurdling downwards did sound funny to him.  
“Although I don't think, your downfall will be evitable!” 

Jisung sighed in relief, when Felix started to climb the tree with an experience that came from having sag within it's branches a few times before as well. 

“I don't really care, as long as you get me down, before the others come back!”, the omega replied, arms swinging around uselessly and his face slowly turning red from all the blood pressure.  
“If I hear Changbin say 'Be careful!' one more time, I swear, I'm gonna slap him!” 

Snorting, Felix inspected Jisung's foot, which the boy had successfully gotten jammed between two thick branches.  
They grew almost parallel to each other, only leaving a little space in between. 

“Isn't Changbin your hyung?”, he asked dryly, while experimentally rocking the shoe, or rather, trying to get it to move in any possible way, but to no avail.  
  
“Jesus christ, how did you even manage to get your foot in here?”, he pressed out without waiting for Jisung to answer his previous question, as his hands pulled at the sandwiched shoe with all his might. 

Which didn't have that much of an effect, except for the fact, that he almost lost his balance. 

Wheezing, Felix gave up, his arms reaching to his sides to stabilize his position by holding on to some twigs. 

“I'm not completely sure!”, Jisung admitted in a thoughtful tone.  
“I was climbing, when suddenly, I lost my footing and to stop my fall, I kicked blindly in every direction, until suddenly, I got caught by my leg. Unfortunately, I couldn't reach anything from my point of hanging, and that's how you found me!” 

Resigned, Felix pinched the bridge of his nose.  
“Jisung,”, he deadpanned. “you, my friend, are an idiot! An awesome idiot, but still a complete idiot!” 

“Yeah, well, the idiot would like to get down!”, Jisung whined.  
He wiggled a little like an odd caterpillar but stopped, when it didn't get him anywhere. 

“Shouldn't have gotten yourself stuck then!”, Felix grumbled, adjusting his position to be able to sit a little more balanced on the branch he had chosen to stay on before he let go of the twigs to his sides to lean over Jisung's shoe a second time. 

“We could maybe try to free your foot of your shoe to get you down!”, he suggested, but Jisung immediately shook his head so hard, that he started swinging again. 

“No way! If I loose another shoe, Channie-hyung's gonna kill me!”, he objected.  
“Can't you just bend apart the two branches?” 

Felix gave a disbelieving laugh.  
What was Jisung expecting?  
Felix to rip off his sweater and reveal abs and a well-developed biceps, that he had hidden in his stick-like arms all the time?  
  
“I'm not Changbin-hyung!”, he reminded Jisung, who only scoffed. 

“Binnie's not even that strong!”, he mumbled in reply.  
“Channie-hyung is way stronger than him!” 

“Well, I'm neither Changbin-hyung, nor Chan-hyung, so what do we do?”, Felix stated as a matter of fact while expectantly peaking past the branches to get a look at Jisung's face, which stared back at him, equally clueless. 

“Sheer force and a lot of trying?”, the omega asked hopefully.  
Felix groaned. 

“You owe me big time!”, he muttered before getting back to his original task of trying to push the shoe out of the tree's merciless hold.  
  
A few minutes later, Jisung's foot still hadn't moved one bit. 

“I'm starting to think, this is gonna be a permanent fixture!”, Felix panted.  
His power was slowly but carefully getting drained from that much pushing and pulling. 

Huffing, Jisung, who by now was as red as a tomato, examined his shoe from below with a disgruntled stare.  
  
“Can you maybe pull me up a little so I can grab the branch?”, he asked Felix, who looked at him in confusion.  
  
“That way I can pull while you push!”, Jisung explained and Felix could feel his own expression lighting up.  
Of course! Why hadn‘t they thought of that sooner?

“Ahh, good thought!”, he praised, reaching his hand down so that Jisung was able to grab it, before he lifted the omega up to hold onto one of the thick branches that was holding his foot captured. 

“Okay, on the count of three!”, Jisung pressed out between clenched teeth.  
His eyes were sparkling with newfound determination.  
“Are you ready?” 

Nodding, Felix lay his hands on the sole of the omega's shoe, prepared to press against it again. 

“Alright! One, two,...”  
Jisung seemed to collect all his strength before yelling out: “Three!”, while pulling back harshly, just as Felix pushed with all his might. 

The shoe actually moved a bit, but therefore causing Jisung to loose his grip on the branch.  
His body swung back down into his previous hanging position and a low grunt escaping the boy‘s lips, as his spine gave a slight crack upon the harsh movement. 

Unfortunately, his foot was still stuck, just a few centimeters deeper. 

“Argh, dammit!”  
Jisung let his arms hang beneath his head.  
“It almost worked!” 

Inspecting his friend's shoe again, Felix smacked his lips.  
  
“I think I can do something now!”, he then exclaimed excitedly.  
  
The shoe seemed to be a little less immobile than it had been before.  
  
“Hold still, Jisung!”, he ordered, just before his brain caught up to his mouth with the reminder, of how ridiculous that instruction was.  
  
Jisung snorted in reply. 

“Oh don't worry, I didn't plan on going anywhere!”, he answered with his words drenched in sarcasm. 

Felix only spared the Omega an eyeroll, before he went back to work.  


Leaning his entire weight on Jisung's sole, Felix pushed again, grinning, when he felt how the resistance slowly gave in.  
  
“Almost there!”, he shouted.  
“Just a little...bit...”

“What the fuck are you guys doing there?”, a sharp voice suddenly sounded from beneath them, making both boys flinch. 

Unfortunately, right in that very moment, Jisung's shoe finally decided to give up his determination to stay in it's place, coming free and sending the omega flying downwards to Minho, who had apparently just returned and probably decided to check on them after seeing them from afar. 

Now, all the alpha could do, was jump out of the way with a horrified yelp, when Jisung crashed down in front of him, followed by Felix, who had lost his balance upon the jolt of finally dislocating the shoe.  
  
Luckily, he didn't land directly on top of Jisung but right next to him. 

A pained groan escaped Felix lips, as his fall got stopped abruptly at his collision with the grassy ground.  
His shoulder throbbed, but other than that, he deemed himself uninjured. 

Jisung, too, seemed to have survived the fall overly unharmed, the omega only rubbing an apparently sore spot on his back.  
  
“Let's never do that again!”, he grumbled.  
Felix huffed. 

“That one's on you!”, he retorted, scrambling to his feet and dusting his damp pants off, that got wet from him sitting on the soaked branches and his fall into the dew-covered grass. 

Awesome! Now their wet state matches his shoes!  


“Again, what the fuck!” 

Minho's aghast voice reminded Felix of the older alpha's presence. 

“Hey, Hyung!”, he greeted the dark-haired boy with a smile.  
“Has your search been successful?” 

Minho held his hand up to stop Felix from talking.  
  
“Uh uh, you ain't getting out of this one without a proper explanation!”, he growled in a mix of obvious confusion and mild horror.  
“What were you guys doing again? Woojin gave you the most harmless job with staying here! There isn't much you could do wrong!” 

Back on his feet as well and both his shoes safely placed on the ground, Jisung joined their conversation with a snort.  
“You'd be surprised how much one can screw up within a few hours!”, he deadpanned.  
“All it takes, is a little motivation and...” 

Promptly, Minho cut him off.  
  
“I don't need to know!”, he exclaimed, his voice strained.  
“All I want you to explain to me, is why you guys just fell out of a tree!” 

Grinning, Felix patted Jisung's shoulder.  
  
“That's your job, Jisungie!”, he chuckled.  
Jisung stuck his tongue out in his direction, before focusing back on Minho. 

“Well, you know, just climbing and stuff...”, he trailed off, biting his lower lip while he avoided the older alpha's scrutinizing gaze.  
  
Giggling, Felix flicked his finger against Jisung's temple.  
The omega let out a surprised yelp, only to shoot him a glare right after. 

“Just tell him the truth or else, he's gonna be unbearable!”, Felix simply adviced Jisung. 

He knew what he was talking about.  
Minho could be a real pain in the ass, when it came to figuring such things out.  
In a way, he was like Seungmin.  
Only worse, because he could use his ‚Hyung‘-title as pressure.  
  
Jisung gave one last resigned sounding huff.  


“Fine!”, he grumbled, carding his hand through his brown hair to get it out of his sight. 

Minho, who was still waiting for an explanation, raised one of his eyebrows.  
“I'm listening!”, he urged. 

Heaving a deep and rather dramatic a sigh, Jisung let his hand fall back to his side.  
  
“My foot got stuck during climbing and Felix helped me to get it back out!”, he elaborated as his gaze set on the ground. 

Giving a disbelieving scoff, Minho lowered his crossed arms.  
  
“You just got stuck somewhere the day before yesterday and had to be saved!”, he reminded.  
“How often do you do that approximately per month?” 

A nervous giggle escaped Jisung's lips.  
  
“Do you want me to answer that question?”, he asked and Minho only waved him off. 

“Nevermind!”, the alpha grumbled before turning on his heel.  
“We need you guys to help us stack the collected wood!”, he added over his shoulder before heading back towards the front of the building. 

Felix threw Jisung a more or less apologetic look.  
  
“Sorry, next time we hurry up so that he won't catch us!”, he grinned.  
His friend groaned in reply. 

“No more hanging upside down off trees!”, he swore with a frown, as he started his way after Minho.  
Felix followed right behind. 

He couldn’t find a downside of that decision of Jisung’s either.  


“Sounds like a good plan!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't worry, Minsung will appear soon! :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> enjoy jisung's first hunt and a Little angst on the seung-bin side!  
> (Yeah, i know they aren't a ship, but i like their platonic interactions!)
> 
> Warning!  
> There is blood and stuff involved because of the hunt, so People who are sensitive with this Kind of Topic should be careful!  
> Also mentions of Panic; PTSD (although short)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, here i am too early with my update again...  
> But this chapter is a Long one, and i was scared, that my poor old Laptop, combined with the horrible Connection here, wouldn't be able to handle two updates on one day, so i decided to post one now and the second one tomorrow.  
> I hope no one minds this too much, but then again, ive never heard someone complain about early updates, so....

The last four days had gone by in a blink with Seungmin almost forgetting, that only a little over a weak ago, he hadn't even known Hyunjin and his pack.  
  
By now, the two groups had begun to mold into one, only still splitting back up to sleep or on other rare occasions.  
Every other activity, be it eating, hunting, working, or simply lazing around, was usually spent in their mixed groups within the main hall.  
Seungmin couldn’t even properly remember anymore, how it had been before the arrival of the other pack.  
Calmer for sure! But also somewhat emptier, if he was honest.

Currently, Woojin was talking to Minho and Changbin to plan out today's duties, since they needed new food again.

Seungmin stood up from his own spot a little offside the middle of the hall where he had been busy mixing some herbs in a small bowl just to have something to do, and directed his feet towards the place, where Chan was sitting propped up against a bench that Woojin had brought down from one of the upper stores yesterday. 

The blond had been delighted, when Seungmin had finally allowed him to sit up again two days prior.  
Especially the times he had needed to step out to relieve himself, had been bothersome for the leader, always needing Changbin's help, who seemed to be the only one of their group, who Chan allowed himself to rely on.

Right now, Chan was watching Jisung and Felix, who had deepened themselves in a heated conversation which topic Seungmin couldn't quite grasp, but it seemingly made the leader smile.  
  
Stepping to the blond's side, Seungmin crouched down to be at the same level as Chan, who turned his head expectantly upon the omega's arrival. 

“Morning, Seungmin!”, he greeted, voice warm, like Seungmin had learned to expect from him. 

Chan was always warm and friendly somehow.  
It made Seungmin feel safe around him, although he knew, that there were still many things, that he didn't know about the leader, even if he had found out about one of the boy's secrets. 

“Chan-hyung, how is your wound doing?”, he asked with a concerned glance towards the blond‘s abdomen.  
“Did yesterday's movements cause any pain or reopened anything?”

With a smile spreading on his face, that showed off his dimples, Chan shook his head.  
  
“It's healing cleanly and almost without hurting!”, he assured while his hand ghosted over the spot where his shirt was hiding his injuries.  
“Which leads me to another question...!” 

Seungmin knew instantly, what the older was on about.  
  
“No, Hyung, I can't allow you to go outside yet!”, he objected while trying hard to ignore the disappointment that took over Chan's expression instantly. 

“Please!”, the blond pleaded, clasping his hands together.  
“I can't sit around here another day, doing nothing! I'm gonna go crazy!” 

“That's way too early!”, Seungmin protested.  
Inwardly he started calculating days and hours to check how much time had passed since the operation.  
  
“A normal clean-edged wound can take months to heal! The real restoration-process of your cuts has only just started! Harsh movements could destroy any kind of cicatrical tissue that has already been formed!”  
  
During his listing, Seungmin did his best to avoid Chan’s gaze to be able to focus better. 

And to not get lured in by the blond's desperate dark eyes, which stare he could intensely feel on his skin. 

“I promise not to make any harsh movements!”, the leader assured.  
“All I wanna do, is walk around a little, give my legs an opportunity to remember what they were made for!” 

He sounded longing, as if his heart was missing the sky by now.  
Somehow, Seungmin could understand him.  
  
And somehow, that made him cave in. 

“Alright!”, he relented, smiling a little, when Chan's face brightened up like the one of a young child.  
  
“But no running, jumping or climbing! Just walking!”, he warned one last time with one finger raised at his elder.  
“If I find you doing anything slightly above that amount of movement, I'm gonna leave you out there to die!” 

Nodding, Chan flashed him a bright grin.  
  
“Don't worry, I'm in no rush to loose my life!”, he promised before reaching out to ruffle Seungmin's hair gratefully, a gesture the blond had started a few days ago, since he had found out, how much Seungmin liked the touch. 

At first, Seungmin had been reluctant in the face of the fact, that Chan still was a stranger to him.  
But it had only taken him the shorter part of a day to accept the older‘s gestures of affection.  
In a way, they didn’t feel so foreign to him but rather like Woojin‘s, warm and protective.  


Humming, Seungmin enjoyed the feeling of Chan's fingers for a moment, before he pulled back.  
  
“Okay, off you go then, but maybe take someone with you!”, he advised the leader.  
Chan nodded. 

“I was gonna ask Felix if he wants to accompany me!”, he explained as his gaze flickered over to the freckled boy, who was still talking with Jisung.  
By now, Hyunjin and Jeongin had joined them as well.  
  
“That way, maybe Woojin-hyung can take Sungie with him on their hunting trip.” 

When Seungmin threw Chan a doubting glance, the leader chuckled. 

“Sungie's not that bad at hunting and he's dying from energy.”  
  
The blond laughed.  
  
“Just let him loose within the forest and wait until he brings something back!” 

Giggling at the image, Seungmin rose back to his feet.  
  
“Kay, I'm gonna tell Woojinnie-hyung.”, he snickered.  
  
Chan only waved him off with one hand before he carefully pushed himself up with the help of the bench behind him, obviously trying to put as little pressure on his wound as possible. 

Deciding, that the blond was old enough to be responsible for his own well-being, Seungmin forced his worries into the back of his head and crossed the hall to join Woojin.  
  
As he came closer his brother, who was still sitting within a small circle together with Minho and Changbin, he was just in time to pick up their talking about today's hunting party. 

When Seungmin reached the group and came to a halt right beside Woojin their conversation stopped.  
Woojin looked up to him with an expectant smile. 

“Hey, Minnie!”, he exclaimed, signifying Seungmin to sit down.  
“How's Chan's injury doing?” 

“Great!“  
Seungmin thouroughly adjusted his seat on the cold floor.  
He should have taken some sheets with him.  
“Which is why I allowed Chan-hyung to go outside today!” 

A short silence followed.  
Changbin was the first one to break it.  
  
“Are you sure, he's ready?”, he asked, concern evident within his voice.  
“I don't want him to reopen his cuts!” 

Prickly irritation washed over Seungmin at the older omega's words.  
  
“Am I the doctor, or are you?”, he snapped at the dark-haired boy, tone way harsher than intended.  
It even shocked himself, but he couldnMt seem to tone his temper down either.

From the first second the other pack had stepped into their home, he had disliked Changbin, and Seungmin would have lied, if he had claimed, he didn't know the reason for his reluctance towards the other. 

Seungmin hated to admit it, but he was jealous.

It was an ugly emotion and he was disgusted by himself for feeling it, but that didn't change matters.  
  
Changbin was everything Seungmin had always wanted to be.  
Small, cute, - more of an omega than Seungmin could ever aspire to be with his height.  
And despite his often adorable appearance, Changbin demanded respect, as soon as he entered a room, looked like he could bash an alpha's head in, if he wanted. 

He was the perfect mix of a harmless kitten and a dangerous tiger, and Seungmin envied the short boy for that in a way, that demanded a vetile.  
  
To top things off, every time, Seungmin saw the older omega cuddle up to Hyunjin, a sting of jealousy ached within his chest, and he felt a little more out of place.  
It was maddening, and if Seungmin was honest, he didn't quite know how to deal with his feelings.  


Changbin looked surprised at his forceful reply, a slightly hurt expression ghosting over his slim face.  
It made Seungmin hate himself for snapping at the older and at the same time hate the omega even more, for even looking adorable during situations like this. 

Why wasn‘t his face that small?  
Why wasn‘t _he_ that small?  


Woojin seemed to sense the awkward tension between Seungmin and Changbin, because he cleared his throat to speak up again.  
  
“Alright, so Chan's gonna go outside today!”, he concluded before adding: “Who's gonna accompany him?” 

“Me!”, Felix deep voice cut in from behind them.  
  
When Seungmin threw a glance over his shoulder, he saw, that all of the other boys had given up their own conversations to join the little group around Woojin. 

“Felix and I are gonna look for some eatable stuff that doesn't run when it sees us!”, Chan joked with Felix beside him nodding along to his words. 

Humming in affirmation, Woojin scooted a little towards Minho to his left to invite the standing boys around them into their circle.  
  
While making room for them as well, Seungmin found himself next to Hyunjin, as well as Jeongin, who gave him a light punch against his shoulder in a silent greeting.  
Thankful for the familiar gesture, Seungmin nudged his friend back while flashing Hyunjin a quick smile.

“What does that mean for our hunting party?”, Minho asked.  
He was chewing on his lower lip, his cat-like eyes fixated on the oldest.  
  
Woojin shrugged. 

“Not much, since Felix doesn't hunt anyways and Chan wouldn't have been a part of the party either way!”, he replied before his gaze wandered over the rest of the boys.  
“Does anyone volunteer?” 

Immediately, Jisung's hand shot up.  
  
“Me!”, he shouted, excitement barely suppressed and practically spilling from his words.  
“You _have_ to let me come with you guys this time!” 

“Certainly not!”, Minho retorted, but his words got drowned out by Woojin's voice. 

“If you behave, you can join us!”, he promised the younger and Jisung almost jumped in delight. 

“Yes!”, he exclaimed, a triumphing look thrown in Minho's direction.  
The alpha only answered by rolling his eyes in rather obvious exasperation. 

“That would be Jisung, Minho and me!”, Woojin concluded as a matter of fact. 

Immediately, Jisung's excitement died down a little.  
  
“Just the three of us?”, he probed in a careful tone. 

Seungmin could clearly see the fear within his gaze, something he had observed a few times before already, whenever the vivacious omega was supposed to be alone with an alpha that wasn't Hyunjin or Felix.  
The latter seemed to have earned Jisung's trust somehow. 

Jeongin apparently was okay as well.  
Minho and Woojin, however seemed to be a different story, and Seungmin had never seen Jisung get any closer to them than safety distance.  


Apparently, his fear of foreign alphas was a known thing among his friends, because Hyunjin immediately sat up.  
  
“Jeongin and me can come with you guys as well!”, he offered, a questioning look sent towards the younger alpha, who only nodded. 

“Yeah, the more the merrier!” 

Woojin seemed pleased with everyone's decisions.  
  
He gave a short smile before his wandering eyes caught Seungmin‘s. 

“Are you okay with staying here again?”, he asked softly.  
It somehow soothed Seungmin to know, that his brother wasn't forgetting about him. 

“Sure, no problem!”, he therefore replied, before realizing the situation fully, just as Woojin turned towards Changbin, who had stayed quiet ever since Seungmin had snapped at him. 

“Are you okay with this as well?”, his brother asked again, this time words directed at the short omega, who would be Seungmin's partner for watching the building.  
  
Something, Seungmin somehow hadn't considered at all while rashly consenting to the planned split-up of their big group.  
  
A part of him wanted to reconsider, and Changbin didn't look too pleased either, but nonetheless, the dark-haired boy nodded wordlessly. 

“Okay, then it's settled!”, Woojin exclaimed, before he rose from his position on the ground, followed by Minho. 

Chan, who had never sat down but had stayed within an upright position to save his stomach the nuisance of having to move around to much, grinned at the dark-haired alpha. 

“I'm gonna leave Sungie in your care then!”, he joked, but his eyes were dark with warning.  
  
Minho gave a quiet snort but nodded anyway. 

“Sure, let's just hope, he doesn't get himself stuck somewhere!”, he scoffed.  
The comment earned him a light flick against the back of his head by Felix, who had risen to his feet as well, and apparently was determined to defend his newfound soulmate.

“Just for your information, I'm literally sitting right here!”, Jísung grumbled while standing up too.  
“And I'm gonna show all of you how good I am at hunting!” 

Hyunjin, who was still sitting next to Seungmin, grinned.  
  
“I dare you to make a good catch! Bet you don't catch anything though?”, he mocked his friend. 

A heated expression spread over Jisung's face.  
  
“You're on!”, he growled jokingly but with so much determination within his gaze, that Seungmin was sure, Hyunjin had riled the omega up on purpose. 

In that moment, Hyunjin leaned over to him. 

“Sungie can make anything possible, if you dare him to do it!”, he confirmed Seungmin‘s assumption while giggling lightly.  
The sound warmed Seungmin's heart.  
  
Then, Hyunjin's voice got a little more serious. 

“Will you and Binnie be okay, though?”, he asked quietly.  
  
His apparent knowledge about the awkwardness between the healer and the buff omega surprised Seungmin.  
At the same time, he was incredibly embarrassed.  
And ashamed of himself.

If even Hyunjin had found out about Seungmin’s reluctance towards the older omega throughout simply observation, then how obviously had he shown his irritation? 

Determined to work on his attitude, Seungmin nodded.  
He could make this work!  
  
“We're gonna be fine!”, he assured while inwardly telling himself to pull himself together.  
After all, Changbin wasn't at fault for looking more omega-like than he himself did. 

Hyunjin didn't seem completely convinced, but he nodded nonetheless.  
  
“Alright, please don't fight, though!”, he mumbled before getting up, too, to follow the other members of the hunting party, who had already gathered at the main door of the hall. 

A few meters away, Seungmin could see Changbin and Chan stand together, the latter insistently talking to the dark-haired omega, who only nodded from time to time while staring at the floor.  
  
When at some point, Changbin looked up to crack a small smile while muttering something, Chan finally seemed to be satisfied.  
Quickly, he hugged the short boy with one arm to favor his injury on the other side of his body before joining Felix, who was already waiting for him next to the hunting group at the staircase. 

“Don't destroy the building!”, was the last thing, Jeongin shouted in Seungmin's direction, before all seven boys bolted down the stairs, their steps fading away in the distance and only leaving silence behind. 

Incredibly awkward silence, which Seungmin wished, he knew how to fight.  


“So, what are we gonna do?”  
Changbin's voice cut through the air, hesitantly.  
The older boy apparently still remembered Seungmin's prior outbreak. 

Seungmin couldn’t blame him for that.  
But then again, he couldn’t blame Changbin for his appearance either, and yet he did.  


Although Seungmin tried to tell himself to give the older a chance, his heart didn't seem to want to cooperate, as once again, irritation flamed up within Seungmin's guts and plastered a frown on his face.  
To not snap at his partner, he just shook his head. 

“Don't know what you're gonna do, but I'm gonna clean up the medical room."

Maybe that would give him enough peace of mind to tolerate Changbin‘s presence that way.  


Changbin's face lit up.  
  
“I can help you!”, he exclaimed eagerly, a side of him, Seungmin hadn't seen that often yet. 

Inwardly, he clenched his teeth together.  
His inner wolf had long made way for this irrational anger inside of him, that seemed to feed of Changbin‘s every word and demanded an outlet.  
But the memory of Hyunjin's words made Seungmin snap out of it.  
  
_‘Please don't fight!'_

“Sure!”, Seungmin pressed out instead of the snarky remark that lay on his tongue.  
“Don't break anything though!”  
__________

Jisung was beyond excited to finally be able to go hunting again.  
  
There was a certain thrill to tracking down and chasing prey, that he couldn't quite describe but loved to experience and he had missed the feeling during the time he hadn't been able to hunt due to his packs reluctance to make fire. 

Chan and Felix had separated from them at the beginning of the forest, taking an easier path than they did, but Hyunjin was still at Jisung's side, striding forward with his long legs and with his sensitive nose held into the air to search for possible smells of prey or hostile packs. 

Although Jisung doubted, that there were any people around here, since the territories of the local packs were all set a little more to the south, where his own pack had lived two weeks ago as well. 

To his right, Minho was gliding through the undergrowth of the forest seemingly effortless, like a cat.  
He looked focused and serious, an expression, Jisung decided he liked on the alpha. 

“Stop staring at me and do your job!”, the subject of his thoughts growled in that moment, which effectively startled Jisung back to reality. 

“I wasn't staring!”, he automatically defended, although he knew that he had been doing exactly that.  
Raiding his brain for a backup-explanation, Josung took the first excuse he could get his hands on.  
  
“I was just thinking of how we could maybe split up the tasks to succeed faster!” 

Throwing him a look of pure doubt, Minho snorted.  
  
“Stop thinking, it's not gonna get you anywhere!”, he muttered. 

His passive aggressiveness, combined with his ability to get right under Jisung‘s skin irked the omega.  
Seriously, what was this guy‘s deal?  
Okay, Jisung‘s pack had stolen from them, but that hadn‘t only been Jisung alone!  
And he hadn‘t seen Minho acting this prick-ish towards Changbin or Hyunjin!  


Huffing, Jisung decided against another retort for the sake of a peaceful hunt and focused on the things he could smell at the moment.  
Screw Minho!  
  
An earthy scent surrounded him, as well as the odors of his pack-mates, but Jisung could also detect the faint smells of other animals. 

Choosing to rely on his instincts, his inner wolf that pushed him to relish control to it, Jisung parted from the group to follow one particular scent that smelled a little fresher than the rest and seemed to have caught his wolf‘s attention. 

Only minutes later, Jisung could discern hoof prints on the muddy ground.  
Emitting a soft noise of delight, he stayed on the track, now walking more carefully as to not make any loud sounds.  
If he wasn't mistaking, the deer those clues belonged to wasn't too far away. 

His inner wolf‘s antsiness only supporter that theory.  


Eager to finally prove himself and make up some of their debt to the other pack, Jisung ducked a little and kept walking, careful not to step on any sticks, that could break beneath his soles. 

Suddenly, a movement caught his eye.  
He froze. 

There, not even twenty meters away, stood his prey, feeding from a for this season unusually green bush, completely unaware of any predator's presence.  
A triumphant grin plastered itself on Jisung's face. 

This deer was his! 

He was about to sneak a little closer, when suddenly, he sensed a strong presence beside him.  
  
Another predator!

Within the fraction of a second, Jisung‘s inner wolf made the primal decision, that his life was worth more than food and went for a dive to the left.  
The terrified yelp and abrupt movement, that went along with that action, scared the deer away and it disappeared into the forest with wide jumps. 

Jisung‘s attention was elsewhere for the moment, though.  


Only now and a few feet away from the spot he had been standing on originally, Jisung realized Minho's strong scent within the air. 

How hadn‘t he noticed it before?  
Seriously, Minho had the sharpest and most unique smell of them all after all!  


“What the fuck?”, Jisung whisper-yelled into the alpha's direction nonetheless, who looked a little confused upon the younger's reaction. 

“I'm sorry?”, Minho apologized in a tone, that sounded more like a question than a statement.  
“I didn't know you'd jump out of your skin like that.” 

Scoffing, Jisung dropped his defensive posture.  
It was true. His reaction _had_ been a bit excessive.  
  
“You just surprised me!”, he defended half-heartedly.  
“I didn't hear you behind me!” 

Holding up his hands in a reassuring manner, Minho nodded.  
“Sorry 'bout that!”, he repeated.  
“I didn't think of that.” 

The alpha lowered his arms again.  
“Let's find another thing to hunt, alright?”, he offered in a conciliatory manner. 

It was the first time ever since they had met, that the alpha didn’t snap at him, and Jisung almost smiled.  
Almost.  
He didn‘t, however, because in that very moment, Jisung realized his current position. 

“Where are the others?”, he asked.  
The barely contained panic within his voice was a rapitdy growing swirl inside of him, that was consistently getting more and more out of control.  
  
Minho simply shrugged.  
He seemed unaware of Jisung‘s rather fragile state.

“You went off on your own and I think I was the only one who followed you.”, he explained nonchalantly.  
"Don't worry though! We'll catch up with them sooner or later!"

Meanwhile, Jisung tried his very best not to freak out.  
  
He was alone, in a forest he wasn't familiar with, his only company an alpha he didn't really know and to top things off, said alpha was armed with one of the only two knives, they had taken with them on their hunting trip.  
And it was not Jisung, who was carrying the other weapon, but Woojin. 

A low growl escaped Jisung involuntarily, while his feet backed away from Minho in their own.  
His inner wolf was poled on survival, and as much as Jisung wanted to stay in control, he could feel himself slipping.

Minho finally seemed to realize Jisung‘s state.  
The way, his eyes went wide for a second, would have been funny, if Jisung would have en in the constitution to laugh.  
  
“Woah, it's okay, Jisung, calm down!”, the alpha assured, his tone suddenly soft, while he raised his hands again, probably to show Jisung, that he was unarmed at the moment and that his knife was still safely stored away within the back of his pants. 

Desperately, Jisung tried to fight his inner wolf, that screamed at him to run away, to search for Hyunjin, his pack!  
He could feel the panic lurking at the back of his conscience, ready to take over, but he fought hard to forbid it from kicking in. 

A wheeze left his heaving lungs, which were searching for air already, as if Jisung had already started his run for his life.  


Minho wasn't one he needed to be afraid of!  
The alpha might look scary and aggressive, but Jisung knew, that the dark-haired boy was a big softie at the same time. 

Or at least, that was what he had heard from Felix. 

It was okay! He was okay!  
  
Slowly, his wolf pulled back, albeit reluctant, and allowed Jisung to blink his sight clear from his prior tunnel vision.  


“Sorry, instinct!”, he managed to press out while still fighting to control his rapid breathing.  
  
Minho nodded in understanding. 

“It's okay, take your time!”, he reassured, still within this unusually soft voice of his that seemed to soothe Jisung's inner wolf somehow, because not even minutes later, he could finally relax his shoulders again.  
His muscles strained with how tense he had been only seconds ago.

Sighing deeply to let out even the last bits of unease, Jisung finally found back to himself fully.  
  
“Alright, I'm good now!”, he informed the alpha in front of him.  
“Thanks for giving me the time!” 

Minho only hummed in understanding.  
“No problem!”, he replied.  
“Fear is not something we can control that easily!” 

“You seem to have experience!”, Jisung mumbled while avoiding Minho's burning gaze.  
It didn’t sit right with him, that he had shown such weakness in front of the alpha, that seemed to have it out for him anyway, but there was nothing Jisung could do about it now.

Minho chuckled, but there was no humor in his tone. 

“Everyone's afraid of something!”, he answered vaguely while turning towards the direction the deer had run off into.  
Then he added in a dry voice: “Except for Seungmin!”  
He growled lowly.  
“That fucker isn't afraid of anything for some reason!” 

A slight giggle escaped Jisung's lips, as he followed Minho, who had started his way down an invisible path, a little more to the left of the way the deer had taken. 

“That's kinda cool, you have to admit!”, he mumbled with his eyes fixated on the ground to search for new tracks.  
Minho only grumbled. 

“Still fucks me up, though!”, he muttered, before suddenly calling Jisung with a soft sound. 

“Found one!”, he mumbled lowly while pointing at a fresh hoof print.  
Nodding, Jisung narrowed his eyes in determination. 

He could do this hunt! He would be fine!  


“Alright, let's do this!”  
__________

“Seungmin-ah!” 

Groaning at hearing his name being called for the umpteenth time, Seungmin let his head fall onto the table in front of him with a low thud. 

Not too long after starting to clean the medical room together with Changbin, the younger omega had banned the dark-haired boy from the room, because he kept messing things up, not helping Seungmin in the slightest. 

But for some reason, Changbin wasn't capable of staying alone for more than five minutes, because ever since then, the short boy had bothered the healer by coming back to him and demanding his attention. 

Now, too, the older omega came into the room again, a pout on his lips. 

“Seungmin-ah, I'm bored!”, he whined, placing his hand on the latter's shoulder.  
Freezing at the touch, a wave of irritation hit the younger again. 

“Remove your hand, or I'm gonna rip off your arm and beat you to death with it!”, he hissed, his outbreak resulting in Changbin actually letting his hand slip off Seungmin's shoulder again. 

“Can't I just watch you or something?”, the short boy asked timidly, sounding defeated.  
Feeling a pang of guilt within his chest, Seungmin nodded resignedly. 

“If you stay quiet!”, he sighed, Changbin humming in confirmation while lowering himself down on the bare floor.  
Rolling his eyes, Seungmin went back to sorting the utensils he kept stored away within this room. 

For the first following minutes, everything stayed quiet, but then, once again, Changbin's whiny voice cut through the room. 

“Pay attention to meee!”, the dark-haired omega huffed, starting to poke Seungmin's back with his finger. 

At the beginning, Seungmin just chose to try to ignore it, hoping that the boy would stop soon, if he saw, that his ministrations had no effect on the healer, but when Changbin didn't let up, repeatedly boring his finger between the younger's ribs again and again, the omega's patience finally snapped. 

“I swear to god, stop!”, he yelled, slapping Changbin's arm away before exasperatedly massaging his temples in a measure to calm himself down.  
“I only have a certain level of sanity, and you're not helping me keep it!” 

Heaving a deep sigh, he pointed to the door.  
“Would you be so kind as to leave my room and let me work in peace?”, he asked, his tone overly nice as to not lash out at the older again.  
“I'll be sure to join you soon!” 

The pout didn't leave Changbin's lips, making Seungmin question the dark-haired boy's age, but nonetheless, the short omega scrambled to his feet with a nod, padding out of the room like a beat puppy. 

“Goodness gracious, finally!”, Seungmin muttered under his breath, when silence filled his infirmary again, Changbin's steps fading away in the distance.

The healer was able to work for a solid ten minutes this time, before the older omega returned once more. 

“Seungmin-ah!”, he exclaimed from the frame of the door and the younger was very close to throwing something into Changbin's face just to silence the older.  
The heavy book, that lay on the desk next to him looked very alluring at the moment. 

Without looking up from his task of cleaning the shelves from dust, Seungmin took in a deep breath. 

“Didn't I kick you out already?”, he questioned.  
Even with his back to the older, he could hear Changbin’s nervous shuffling. 

“Yes, but...”, the short boy started, but Seungmin cut him off with a swift gesture of his hand, his finger pointing in the direction of the main hall again. 

“No! Out!”, he ordered sharply.  
Inwardly, he felt bad for his behavior towards Changbin, but he pushed those emotions down, banning them to the depths of his conscience one more time while silently apologizing to the older omega, even though he knew, that this wouldn't help the other in the least.

Giving in, Changbin left the room again and this time, he stayed away, enabling Seungmin to proceed with his mission to get the infirmary clean and neat.  
Almost forgetting about his partner, the healer went on about half an hour without getting interrupted or bothered. 

He was about to swipe away the last pecks of dust, when suddenly, Changbin's voice sounded from the main hall.  
“Seungmin!” 

Hearing his name once more being called by the short boy imposed a threat on Seungmin‘s Last strings of patience, but something prevented him from snapping at the other this time too. 

Changbin's tone was different.  
It sounded more edged, more desperate than before, more like a call for help than for attention, and before Seungmin realized what he was doing, he had bolted out of the medical room. 

The sight, that got offered to him, was more than just bizarre. 

On the highest point of the shelf they used to store their food on, sat Changbin, flatly pressed against the wall behind him, while his terrified eyes were fixated on something on the floor. 

How He had managed to get up there in the first place, was a mystery to Seungmin, but he had different things to worry about, as he followed the older's line of vision, his gaze getting caught by a lump in the floor. 

A snake! 

On the second glance, however, Seungmin was able to identify the species of the long animal as not poisonous, letting him sigh in relief.  
He had never treated a snake-bite before and if he was honest, he wasn't keen on trying it out either. 

“It's okay, Changbin, it's harmless!”, he assured the older omega, assuming, that Changbin thought that the animal was imposing a threat to them, but to his confusion, the short boy didn't move one bit, still staying in his position, widened eyes not wavering from the snake.  
When the animal slowly started creeping towards the black-haired omega, a petrified shriek left his slightly parted lips. 

“Off! Get it off!”, the older rambled, clearly too scared to form meaningful sentences. 

Grasping the situation fully, Seungmin stepped towards the snake.  
Breathing out, he pressed his lips together. 

To be honest, he wasn't completely fond of snaked either, but he had seen the kind of behavior Changbin was sporting before, every time Jeongin had to encounter birds, or Felix insects.  
The other omega was scared out of his wits, and Seungmin, although a devil sometimes, surely wasn't enough of a monster to let the older suffer just because he deemed himself to good to touch a damn snake! 

Jumping forward with a swift movement, he grabbed the neck of the snake for it to not be able to bite him and lifted it up from the ground. 

Disgust overcame him, when the long animal started squirming within his grasp, but he forbid himself to let go, carrying the snake over towards the back exit of the room, where he was able to throw it out of one of the broken windows in the hallway. 

Wincing, when he heard a thud, as the snake hit the ground outside, he prayed, that the animal hadn't been harmed too much, since he as a doctor despised, if he had to hurt others, be they another person or just a simple Reptile. Then he turned his back to the window and hurried back inside the main room. 

When he entered the hall again, his gaze immediately searched for Changbin to check on him.  
The short boy had come down from the shelf, now sitting crunched up, his back leaned against the furniture and his knees pulled up towards his chest. 

It made him look like a small little ball and on any other occasion, Seungmin might have laughed, but the still horrified look on the older's face let the healer's amusement vaporize like hot water into steam. 

Carefully approaching Changbin, Seungmin crouched down right in front of the dark-haired boy, examining him. 

The short omega's eyes were weirdly glazed over, as if he was caught within his own world, seeing something Seungmin wasn't capable of. 

“Changbin?”, the healer asked experimentally, but the boy only flinched, trying to scoot further away from the younger.  
Frowning, Seungmin tried to think of how to get through to Changbin.  
He was a doctor, or rather, he tried to be something along the lines of someone medical-savvy, but if he was honest, he had no idea about the human psyche. 

To top things off, he himself wasn't particularly afraid of anything which gave him close to no experience with panic attacks, even though he had seen Jeongin have some from time to time, but back then, Woojin had always been the one to calm his friend down again.  
How had he done that exactly? 

Trying to recall his older brother's actions, Seungmin lowered his voice into a soft soothing tone before trying to address the boy before him again.  
“Changbin?” 

Whimpering, the short omega pressed his hands to his ears, looking past the healer with glossy eyes, ignoring Seungmin completely.  
Said boy was at a loss.  
How could he possibly comfort his partner, if the other wasn't willing to listen to him? 

A light bulb figuratively appeared over his head, when he remembered the way, Chan always called his friend.  
Trying again, he looked directly at Changbin's face. 

“Binnie?”, he carefully exclaimed, still keeping his soft tone.  
Sure enough, this time, the older reacted to Seungmin's call, his whimpering stopping as for the first time as his eyes seemed to recognize the healer. 

“Minnie?”  
His voice sounded hoarse and forced, his lips starting to quiver. 

Seungmin nodded, assuming that Chanbin used the nickname for him as a way to make himself feel safer.  
Jeongin did the same, always dropping honorifics with Woojin whenever he panicked. 

“Yeah, it's me!”, he answered while slowly scooting a little closer to the scared boy.  
“Don't worry, it's gone now! You're safe!” 

Before Seungmin could add anything else, Changbin lunged at him, practically wrapping his whole body around the healer to be able to cling to the younger.  
At the same time, heavy sobs started escaping the older‘s throat, rocking his body so hard, Seungmin feared to loose his balance with the added weight of the omega within his arms. 

A little awkwardly, the healer embraced Changbin, patting the back of his head soothingly.  
The sweet scent of the older was surrounding him like a cozy blanket, and for some reason, Seungmin felt himself enjoying the warmth of the boy. 

It had been a while since the last time he had cuddled with his brother and even if he liked to deny it, it was something he enjoyed greatly.  
Spreading how own scent a little to reassure Changbin further, the younger stayed within his position, his arms secured tightly around the short boy. 

It took a while, but eventually, the older's sobbing quieted down, until only rough breathing could be heard from the omega, who had buried his face within Seungmin's shoulder.  
Careful, as to not upset the boy again, the healer carefully turned his head.

“Binnie, are you better?”, he asked softly, his hand going up to play with Changbin's hair, the way he himself liked it to be done. 

Humming, the older nodded into Seungmin's shirt but made no attempt to move from his position, his limbs still secured tightly around the healer‘s upper body.  
Sighing, Seungmin gave in. 

“Okay, hold on properly, I'm gonna carry you over to the blankets!”, he mumbled into Changbin's ear who didn't answer but tightened his grip.  
Gathering all his strength, Seungmin scrambled to his feet, the older boy hanging off his front like a koala bear, refusing to let go for even a second. 

It turned out to be a lot more difficult to transport the buff omega across the hall, than Seungmin had assumed at first, mainly because he had underestimated Changbin's weight and overestimated his own power, but eventually, accompanied by a lot of panting, the younger dropped down in the pile of blankets of the other pack's resting place, careful not to crush Changbin under his own body.  
He had figured, that the other would feel safer within the sheets that smelled like his own pack-mates and therefore decided to head towards those. 

Now, he leaned back, placing his own head on one of the scattered pillows before throwing a scrutinizing look at the omega within his grasp.  
Changbin still hadn't moved, but his breathing had calmed down by now, the boy seemingly having relaxed a little. 

After a few minutes of silence, Seungmin decided to try to talk to the older. 

“Binnie?”, he asked, but getting nothing in reply.  
When after another attempt, he still received no reaction, Seungmin assumed, that the boy had fallen asleep from all the stress. 

Seungmin felt bad.  
He knew, it wasn't his fault, that the snake had found a way into the building, but nonetheless, he also was aware that he had acted incredibly rude towards the poor boy, who had never given him a reason to hate him, except for looking a little cuter. 

Snorting, Seungmin inwardly slapped himself. 

'You really are a poor looser!', he thought bitterly while subconsciously carding his hand through Changbin's hair. 

Suddenly, the older muttered some words, startling the healer a bit, since he had been under the impression the other had been sleeping. 

“What was that?”, he asked, words directed at Changbin, who moved his head a little to free his mouth from the surely suffocating fabric of Seungmin's shirt. 

“I said, I'm awake!”, he repeated in a small voice.  
Sighing, the healer figured, that now was probably the best moment to apologize, so he took in a deep breath, bracing himself. 

“Binnie?”, he asked carefully, the other boy nodding to show that he was listening.  
Clearing his throat, Seungmin continued. 

“I wanted to say, that I'm sorry for how I treated you before!” 

Changbin seemed to freeze within his arms. Nervous about the other's reaction, Seungmin went on.  
“It's really not like I don't like you, it's just...” 

He broke off.  
How could he tell a practical stranger, that he was envious of his looks? That would be way too embarrassing!  
On the other hand, Seungmin kind of felt, like he owed the dark-haired omega an explanation.  
Therefore, he heaved another deep sigh before finishing his sentence. 

“You are so much like the perfect omega with your short build and your sweet scent and everything, and I somehow...”, he swallowed before squeaking out: “...got jealous?” 

Silence followed, and Seungmin squinted his eyes together, trying to prepare himself for a hateful comeback from Changbin.  
Suddenly, the older moved within his arms, raising his head a little.  
When the healer opened his eyes carefully, the omega was staring back at him, his face slightly bloated from his crying. 

“YOU are jealous of ME?”, he asked, voice clearly disbelieving.  
Unsure, Seungmin nodded. 

“Yeah, of course!”, he replied, tone wary.  
“I'm a giant of an omega. I'm even bigger than my alpha-older-brother! Do you know, how much I feel out of place next to you and Jisung?” 

Frowning, Changbin scrunched up his features.  
“But you look like a puppy!”, he gave back.  
“You look so adorable whatever you do, it's unfair! I was always just the bulky one, who didn't quite look like an omega!” 

Seungmin scoffed to hide his embarrassment and happiness from having gotten called 'cute' by the other.  
“No offense, but who would possibly mistake you as an alpha?”, he questioned dryly.  
“Your scent is so sweet it could suffocate me from miles away!” 

Changbin giggled at that. It was not as soft as Hyunjin's giggles, but nonetheless, Seungmin decided, that he liked it. 

“Let's not fight again!”, the Changbin only mumbled, not answering the brown-haired boy's question but instead placing his cheek back on Seungmin's chest.  
“I don't like fighting with you!” 

Feeling his heart get warm at the older's words, the healer nodded. “Yeah, okay!”, he whispered.  
Then he added under his breath: “But I'm still gonna insult you!” 

Changbin only snorted at that.  
__________

Jisung felt his blood rushing hot through his veins, as he tried to catch his breath. 

Him and Minho had successfully tracked down the deer from before, surprising it and going in for the final strike. 

The omega had almost shit his pants when Minho had pulled out his knife during the hunt, but his instincts had forbid him to shy away from the prey he had been hunting for so long before, hence him helping the alpha to kill the deer. 

Now, both of them were standing next to the dead body, that was slowly bleeding out onto the mossy ground, painting it red.  
In a few minutes, every last drop of the red fluid would have left the animal, only leaving behind the lifeless meat Jisung and Minho would carry home to use it for their own and their friend's survival. 

The thought was kind of brutal, but at the same time, Jisung felt no regret at taking the life of the deer for his own.  
That was the circle of nature. Eat or get eaten!

Clearing his throat, Minho rose from his bend-over position, within which he had tried to get his breathing back under control again as well.  
His right hand was still holding the knife tightly, it's blade bloodied from it's previous violent use and the alpha quickly plucked some pieces of moss to clean it, safely storing it away right after, which kind of made Jisung heave a small sigh under his breath in relief. 

Although even his usually suspicious guts were telling him, that the cat-like boy wouldn't just attack him out of nowhere, it made Jisung feel safer nonetheless.  
He blamed it on his recent memory of the cause of Chan's injury.

“So, how do we tell the others of our success?”, Minho asked, breaking Jisung's string of thoughts. 

Wiping the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, that had gathered on his skin due to their little sprint from before, Jisung shrugged his shoulders. 

“Whistle and hope, they hear us?”, he suggested halfheartedly, knowing, that the rest of their hunting-party could be anywhere at the moment.  
If he was honest, he had to admit, that he had no fucking clue, where exactly him and Minho where, not to mention, in which way the apartment-tower lay.  
He knew, he could orient himself, if he put his mind to it, but for now, he was clueless.

Scoffing, the alpha opposite him carded a hand through his disheveled hair. 

“I'd like to point out how big the idiocy of that plan is...”, he started, Jisung opening his mouth, ready to snap at the alpha, but the older hastily continued: “...but to be honest, I don't really have a better idea either!” 

A satisfied look on his face, the omega let out a loud whistle, two of his fingers between his lips.  
It's sound swung through the air, getting carried through the forest around them. 

For a few minutes, nothing happened.  
Jisung tried it again, concentrating on the silence to not miss a possible answer. 

“Told you, it's not gonna...!”, Minho mumbled, only to be hissed at by Jisung. 

“Would you shut up?”, he growled lowly, his eyes going back to roaming the trees around them. 

Then, suddenly, a faint whistle sung back at them from their left, letting the omega relax a little.  
Even if his previous panic at being alone with a foreign alpha had subsided a little, it didn't mean that he was comfortable with their situation. 

It didn't take too long, until hurried steps could be heard, several bodies crashing through the branch-wood of the forest, before finally, a figure showed up between the tree-trunks. 

“Jinnie!”, Jisung called out happily, leaping at the alpha, who was barely able to catch him, only grabbing him in the last second before the omega would have dropped back onto the ground. 

“Ji, where have you been!”, Hyunjin asked, concern evident within his voice, as he lowered his friend back down to stand on his own pair of feet again.  
Behind the tall alpha, Jeongin and Woojin entered Jisung's vision as well, the leader stepping up to Minho. 

“You guys suddenly just disappeared without saying a word!”, the oldest chastised, one quick look flashed towards the omega. 

Suddenly aware, that he was the only one of his second gender, Jisung warily scooted closer to Hyunjin, timidly reaching for the taller's hand.  
It was soft and warm, as the brown-haired boy wrapped his fingers around it and when Jisung felt Hyunjin let his scent seep out a bit to calm him, he sighed happily. 

His pack-mate was with him. Everything was okay!

“Well, Jisung trailed off without a word, so I decided to follow him!”, Minho explained with a nonchalant shrug.  
“I thought, one of you would notice, but somehow, we got carried away by the hunt, before we remembered to let you guys know that we had found a clue.” 

Frowning, Jisung cut in at the alpha's words.  
“I found the clue, you just helped me hunt the prey down!”, he corrected, earning himself a venomous look from Minho, but no further comment on the matter. 

Woojin simply nodded.  
“Great work, you two!”, he praised, patting his friend's shoulder and flashing Jisung a warm smile.  
“We were on to something as well, but it got away, unfortunately.” 

Minho visibly cringed at that, seemingly remembering Jisung's and his first try at getting the deer, that had went similarly successful.  
Throwing the alpha a knowing grin, Jisung chose to remain quiet about the matter.  
They had killed the prey in the end after all. Everything else didn't matter at the moment. 

“Alright, let's get this thing home!”, Woojin exclaimed, his hands patting both, Minho's and Jeongin's shoulder while passing them, probably in a silent gesture of praise and reassurance, before he reached the dead deer. 

The blood flow had stopped by now, no more liquid dripping out of the cut at it's throat.  
Jisung was about to join the other leader, trying to free his hand from Hyunjin's grasp around his palm, when suddenly, the alpha pulled him a little closer. 

“Are you okay?”, the tall boy asked Jisung, who melted a little upon his friend's worried question.  
Nuzzling Hyunjin's arm for a second, the omega hummed in confirmation. 

“It's okay, Jinnie, I'm fine!”, he reassured his pack-mate.  
Soothed by Jisung's words, the taller let him go to help the three alphas from the other pack, who were currently trying to figure out, who would take which leg of the deer to carry it. 

Rounding the animal's head, Jisung was about to grab one of it's hooves, when suddenly, his gaze fell on the dead eyes, that stared back at him, lifeless and cold. 

It certainly wasn't the first time, the omega had been out for a hunt, so seeing these kind of things was nothing new to him, but somehow, the sight made him remember the incident with Chan and Nesrin again, made him recall the stench of his leader's blood and the helplessness he himself had felt, when the injury just wouldn't close up, no mater how many stitches he placed within his friend's skin. 

His breath got caught in his throat, as he stumbled backwards, landing on his butt due to his haste.  
His stomach twisted, filling him with the sudden urge to throw up and Jisung desperately pressed the back of his hand to his mouth to keep the little energy, he had left, inside of him. 

“Jisung, are you alright?” 

The concerned voice cut through the fog of his conscience, reaching him and bringing him back to reality.  
Before him, Woojin and Hyunjin had crouched down, Minho and Jeongin awkwardly standing behind them, seemingly unsure of how to react.  
Slowly lowering his hand from his lips, Jisung nodded. 

“Sorry, just got some kind of flashback!”, he apologized, a knowing look spreading on Hyunjin's face.  
The alpha knew exactly, what Jisung had thought of. 

Woojin examined him for a few seconds.  
“Will you be able to walk?”, he then asked, rising back to his feet to offer Jisung a hand. 

“Sure, I'm fine now, don't worry!”, Jisung assured while ignoring the leader's outstretched arm, scrambling to his feet on his own.  
He wasn't weak! He was fine! 

Hyunjin rose to a standing position as well, his worried gaze not leaving Jisung once. 

“See, all good!”, Jisung assured, putting a lot more optimism into his tone that it would have been necessary, as he walked past the four alphas back towards their prey, purposefully avoiding to look at the animal's head and grabbing one of the hind-legs. 

“Are you gonna help me, or what?”, he added jokingly to light the mood a little.  
If he was honest, he would have liked to cry, to run away, be alone for a while and find a place to hide at, but he knew, he couldn't do that right now. 

The smell of their prey had probably already attracted some other carnivores, who were only waiting for the right moment to scavenge some pieces of meat, and Jisung was not one to share. 

Also, he didn't want to let Minho see him cry.  
He had already been weak in front of the hot-blooded alpha once, when he had needed the other pack's help for Chan's survival and he was determined on not letting it happen ever again. 

Showing weakness was dangerous in this world, and being vulnerable in front of the dark-haired alpha Jisung loved to quarrel with was something, that edged the omega greatly, way more, than it did with Woojin and Jeongin.  
Something about Minho made the omega uneasy, and he was in no way ready to ignore that feeling. 

Shrugging, Minho walked over to Jisung to grab one leg of their prey as well.  
“You heard him!”, he simply stated which kind of got the others out of their frozen state as well, as they joined them, Hyunjin helping Jeongin out, who physically was the weakest out of their group. 

“Everyone ready?”, Woojin questioned, starting to move forward, when he received hums and exclaims of agreement. 

Jisung adjusted his steps to their pace, gaze set on Minho's back, who was walking in front of him.  
The alpha's dark hair was still messed up from before, sticking up in several directions and in one spot, a leaf had gotten caught up within the boy's strands. 

Not being able to resist the urge, Jisung reached forward and removed it, crumbling it within his palm.  
Unfortunately, Minho seemed to have noticed his movement, because the alpha turned his head towards the omega mid walk, throwing him a questioning look over his shoulder. Feeling his cheeks flare up lightly, Jisung waved in apology. 

“Sorry, there was something stuck in your hair!”, he explained quickly, Minho nodding in understanding and turning his gaze back to the front, leaving the omega to stare at his backside again. 

Somehow, the sight reminded the brown-haired boy of their hunt.  
Sneaking through the forest alongside the alpha had been... thrilling – to say the least! 

Sure, Jisung had always loved those kind of activities, running alongside Hyunjin or Chan, having fun with them or hunting their food at the times, when they had found a place to make a fire at, but with Minho it had felt different. 

The alpha wasn't as tall as Hyunjin and not as bulky as Chan.  
He was almost the same height as Jisung and therefore, their pace while sprinting almost matched perfectly, with the omega only being a tick faster. 

Remembering the rush of adrenaline he had felt while going in for the final strike with the alpha next to him, made Jisung feel light-headed for a few seconds.  
He had to admit to himself, that he had admired the powerful movements of the boy, the confidence and the lack of any hesitation, with which the alpha had performed the kill.  
It was simply something, Jisung wasn't very used to seeing, except for maybe during his hunts with Changbin.  
Hyunjin often wavered within the final seconds because of his hate for violence.

Suddenly, Minho's scent seemed way stronger than before, surrounding him like fog and hindering him from seeing clearly. 

Missing some roots on the ground due to his momentary state, Jisung let out a short yelp, as his foot got caught.  
Loosing his balance, he stumbled forward ungracefully, crashing right into Minho and sending him flying as well, the alpha grunting in surprise as he was forced to let go of their prey's leg. 

They both rolled into some nearby bushes from their momentum, Jisung feeling his head hit something hard, ripping an involuntary moan from his lips, before he came to a crashing halt, stopped by the bush's branches. 

“Oww, for fucks sake!”, he groaned out, fighting himself back into an upright position, some twigs having become entangled within his hair and clothes. 

“Yeah, right, what the fuck!”, another voice chimed in from his right.  
As Jisung turned his aching head, Minho was staring at him with a disgruntled expression. 

“The fuck was that for?” 

Huffing, Jisung fondled the back of his head, hissing, when he felt the growing bump under his hair. 

“Well, I surely didn't fucking do it on purpose!”, he shot back while trying to block out the dark-haired alpha's scent, that was starting to get stronger again, a sour note to it, now that Minho was pissed.  
It unnerved his inner wolf. 

“How about you watch your fucking legs?”, the alpha snapped at him, riling Jisung up even more, but before he could retort anything, Woojin stepped into his line of vision, blocking his sight on Minho. 

“Okay, that's enough, you two!”, he ordered sternly, one look thrown over his shoulder towards his friend, from which Jisung could only hear a low grunt.  
“You have used swearwords in every single sentence you have spoken within the last minute, so I would like you to pull yourselves together and behave!” 

Lowering his head in shame at the leader's chastisement, Jisung nodded.  
“Sorry, Hyung!”, he apologized quietly.  
Woojin only nodded and turned to Minho. 

When the omega dared to look up again, a hand was offered to him. 

“You okay, Sungie?”, Hyunjin asked, voice concerned.  
His dark eyes were widened and he looked a little older than normally, like always when he took over some sort of responsibility.  
Gratefully, Jisung let himself be pulled up this time, dusting his pants off. 

“It's nothing, Hyung, I was just a little distracted!”, he assured absentmindedly, as he tried not to loose his composure.  
Somehow, his energy was fading from his body and that certainly did not help his mental stability.  
The shock from before still sat deep within his bones, having left an uneasy feeling behind and now, that he had been scolded by Woojin and fought with Minho, he felt himself slipping. 

Hyunjin suddenly pulled him closer, bringing his arm around the omegas waist.  
“It's not nothing, when you call me 'hyung' on your own accord!”, the tall alpha protested quietly, the boy's lips close enough to Jisung's ear, that he could feel the soft fan of breath on his skin. 

Noticing his eyes starting to burn, Jisung hastily blinked a few times.  
He would not cry! This was nothing to cry about! 

Giving Hyunjin a thankful squeeze, he hummed. 

“You're right, it's not nothing, but now is not the right time!”, he mumbled quietly, his friend apparently getting his silent message, because the alpha reluctantly let go of him, taking a step backwards. 

“Jisung, are you alright? Didn't hurt yourself?”, Woojin's voice sounded behind the omega and he turned around, ignoring his urge to leap back into Hyunjin's arms.  
Great god! Why was he so emotional today? 

“I'm fine, don't worry, Hyung!”, he exclaimed again, not daring to look the other leader in the eye.  
“Sorry for causing a delay!” 

Suddenly, a warm palm softly ruffled his hair, carefully touching the bump on the back of his head, while the alpha's strong scent surrounded Jisung like a comforting blanket. 

“You should let Seungmin take a look at this when we get back!”, Woojin advised him kindly before letting his big hand fall to his side again. 

Stunned, Jisung stared at him, before he slowly nodded.  
What had that been about? Wasn't the leader angry at him? 

Normally, Jisung hated being touched by others but his pack-mates, but for some reason, the oldest's touch hadn't felt foreign to him.  
It had almost felt...like Chan's!  
Motherly and concerned, but strong and warm at the same time.  
Protective. The touch of an older brother. Of a leader. 

A smile started spreading on Jisung's face. It was faint and wary, since he still felt weird somehow, but it was genuine, as he flashed it towards Woojin, who sent him a gentle look back. 

“Okay, let's go! We've been here long enough!”, Minho interrupted their sweet little moment, stalking back to their prey, that the others had discarded on the ground a few meters away from them.  
For some reason, the alpha sounded especially grumpy, his still sour smell trailing after him like a long gown, and Jisung wondered, if the boy had hurt himself during their fall as well.  
Following everyone, the omega took his respective place and heaved up the body again. 

As they continued walking, Jisung timidly poked against Minho's back to get the alpha's attention.  
Whipping his head around, the dark-haired boy shot the omega a wild look. 

“What do you want now?”, he growled, startling Jisung with his ferocity.  
Stuttering, he averted his gaze. 

“I just wanted to ask, if you got hurt.” 

Minho's gaze softened a little.  
“No, but not thanks to you!”, he grumbled nonetheless, making Jisung flinch slightly.  
From his left, the omega could hear Woojin hiss at his friend to behave, but Minho only huffed in reply.  
Apparently the alpha was indeed pretty pissed at Jisung. 

“M sorry!”, he mumbled quietly.  
“I didn't mean to push you!” 

It was true!  
Him and Minho bickered pretty often and from the first day on, there had been something, that irked him about the alpha, but that didn't mean, Jisung wanted to hurt the boy.  
He didn't even really hate Minho.  
It was more like a constant annoyance within his guts, whenever the boy opened his mouth to tease him. 

But he guessed, that the alpha had a different view about their relationship. 

“Stop apologizing, it's not your fault, that you are dumb!”, Minho suddenly snapped from the front, ripping Jisung out of his self-pity and letting a fire flare back up within his chest. 

“Excuse me?”, he asked incredulously, not believing the words he had just heard.  
Minho flashed him a malicious grin over his shoulder. 

“You heard me!”, he snickered, his sassiness riling Jisung up even more but at the same time soothing him.  
Somehow, hearing stuff like this from the alpha, was familiar. Normal. Like everything was okay. 

“I am walking behind you in the perfect distance to place my foot up your ass so consider your next words very carefully!”, Jisung growled, only to be met with a slap against his arm. 

“Sungie! Behave!”, Hyunjin whispered from the other side, Jeongin next to him fighting to keep his laughter in. 

Woojin interrupted them, an amused glint in his eyes. 

“No, no, let him be!”, he exclaimed in Hyunjin's direction.  
“Let him cut Minho down to his size, that certainly wouldn't hurt him too much, except for his ego!” 

Indignantly, the alpha in front of Jisung turned towards his leader with a gasp. 

“You are supposed to be on my side!”, he complained, the older only laughing in reply. 

The suddenly lifted mood calmed Jisung's raging emotions a bit and he was grateful, when the urge to laugh overcame him as well.  
His heart felt a little lighter now and his energy seemed to have come back, too. 

He smiled fondly to himself, as they continued their walk home, the weight of the deer pulling on his arms but for some reason, it wasn't as down-dragging, as it had been before. 

'Maybe this other pack isn't too bad.', he thought to himself before joining their conversation again.  
Maybe, in them, he could trust again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive been reading other fics, as well as some writing-advice, and basically, i did everything EXCEPT the things other People recommend to make stories more interesting, so yeah...i guess i suck!;)  
> No but seriously, im sorry this isn't that well thought through...I'm more of the learning-by-doing Kind of Person and literally make this stuff up as i go.  
> Until chapter 21 i didn't even know, how i would end it!  
> i literally made this whole Story up in my head at night when i couldn't sleep and didn't even dare to spoil myself the ending despite me being the fucking author!!! The audacity!  
> Just kidding, I'm rambling! 
> 
> Enjoy the kinda weird and fucked up, None-thought-through daydream i somehow came up with while listening to 'I am YOU', 'Believer' and 'Whatever it takes' in that exact order...


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What’s there to say:  
> Our deer Minho is in slight gay-Panic, if you want to call it that, Channie hates mushrooms and strawberries equal life...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yeah, one more crackhead-chapter ahead!;)
> 
> ATTENTION!!!  
> I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS STORY PART OF A SERIES; THE SECOND PART IS GOING TO BE THE BOOK WITH THE EXTRA SCENES!!! IF YOU WANT TO KNOW SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE CHARACTERS, CHECK IT OUT!

Chan and Felix were the first ones to get back to the apartment-tower and as soon as Chan set one foot back onto the clearing, he felt that something was wrong. 

Him and Felix had been collecting walnuts and even a few late strawberries, which Chan hoped to be able to surprise Jisung with, since the omega loved the red fruits.  
At that time, the leader had just enjoyed being outside again, able to move his legs and stretch his limbs.  
His wound had strained once or twice during too rash movements, but nothing had reopened, and Chan was grateful for that. 

Now though, he wasn't sure if it would stay that way for long, because something told him, that his friend needed him urgently. 

“Dammit!”, he cursed, picking up his steps, but suddenly, his movements got out-braked by a stern grip on his arm.  
Whipping his head to his side, Chan found himself staring right into Felix determined expression. 

“I can feel it, too, Hyung!”, the alpha assured calmly.  
“But you are no help to them, if you just barge in there with no concern about your own well-being!” 

When Chan forced himself to calm down a little and continued his slow steps that were meant to spare his injury from too rough motions, Felix held his pace and continued.  
“There are no foreign scents, so that probably means, that they just fought or something and now, Changbin-hyung is upset.” 

Inhaling deeply, Chan noticed the truth in the freckled boy's words.  
No intruders had reached the building and therefore, Changbin and Seungmin were probably save, but he couldn't shake the feeling, that something had happened. 

Had Changbin slipped because of his absence?  
But his short friend had assured him beforehand, that he was fine and would wait patiently for their return! 

Maybe he shouldn't have trusted the younger's words.  
Changbin wasn't very good at staying alone and Chan doubted, that Seungmin's presence had changed much about the dark-haired omega's feelings of being left behind - something Changbin had always had to fight with, ever since his parents had abandoned him at a very young age, just because he had presented as an omega. 

As Chan and Felix finally reached the stairs that led up to the main entrance, the heavy smell of fear hit them as soon as the freckled alpha pulled the door open for Chan to enter. Like a wave, the stench rolled over them, and although the conscious part of Chan's brain told him, that the scent wasn't too fresh anymore, it set something off within him. 

“Binnie!”, he gasped, hurrying up the staircase as fast as his wound allowed him.  
Sharp pain shot through his abdomen, but he ignored it, bolting into the main hall. 

To his genuine surprise, he was greeted by an unusual sight. 

There, on his pack's resting place, lay Seungmin, his arms wrapped tightly around the small bulky form that Chan identified as his best friend. 

Looking up, the healer sighed in relief. 

“Finally!”, he exclaimed, his voice making the omega within his grasp squirm.  
“Look, who's here, Binnie!” 

The nickname sounded weird out of the younger omega's mouth, but Chan assumed, it was just because he wasn't used to hearing someone apart from their own pack call Changbin by one of his pet-names. 

Nonetheless, the short boy reacted to it, pushing himself up from Seungmin's chest and running towards Chan, who was too confused to say anything, only opening his arms wordlessly for his pack-mate, who seemed upset. 

“Wait! Careful with his wound!”, Seungmin yelled, at the same time, that Felix entered the room as well, letting out a panicked screech. 

Their orders seemed to reach Changbin, who slowed down before reaching Chan, falling into his leader's arms much softer than he would have with the momentum he had had just seconds ago.  
His form was shaking in Chan's embrace, as he closed his arms around Changbin, who started sobbing, his head buried in the blond's chest. 

“Binnie, it's okay, I'm here, I got you!”, Chan cooed soothingly, his right hand starting to rub the shorter male's nape in an attempt to calm him.  
Then he raised his gaze to look at Seungmin again, who had risen from his spot on the blankets and walked over to Felix, now standing next to the freckled alpha, seemingly bathing in his calming scent. 

“A snake somehow found it's way into the building.”, he explained, Chan immediately understanding the whole situation. 

“Oh Binnie!”, he murmured softly into his friend's ear, knowing that the omega easily got calmed by such soft talk. 

Changbin had an extreme phobia of snakes, although he had never really had a bad encounter with one, and normally, Chan had always been right there to save and calm his friend, but today of all days, he just had to leave the house. 

Feeling guilty, Chan rocked the omega's body back and forth a little, listening how Changbin's cries slowly died down again.  
“Did you manage to calm him before?”, he asked, words directed at Seungmin.  
The healer nodded. 

“A little!”, he admitted, his gaze switching to Changbin.  
“I used his nickname and that somehow helped.” 

Nodding, Chan threw him a small smile.  
“Thanks for taking care of him, when I wasn't there!”, he hummed.  
“You did a great job!” 

His words let a light blush appear on Seungmin's cheeks, the omega only waving him off awkwardly.  
“It's a given to help someone in need!”, he replied after clearing his throat. 

Chan smiled sadly.  
If only the whole world would live after that rule.  
His life would maybe have taken a different path, just like the ones of his friends.

Changbin's movement ended Chan's thoughts, as the short omega raised his head again. 

“Thank you, I'm good now!”, he sniffed, his nose ruddled and eyes still glossy from his previous crying session.  
Carefully, Chan wiped his friend's tears away with his sleeve. 

“We're here now, and I'm pretty sure, it won't take too long, until Sungie and Jinnie come back with their group as well!”, he assured his friend, who tried a small smile. 

“Good, I don't like them being away from us!”, the omega muttered, Chan only laughing in reply.  
Changbin had always been the one to keep the pack together with his clinginess, and that hadn't changed since they had come here. 

As if on cue, voices sounded from outside, getting louder, when the creaking of the front door opening echoed through the building.  
The noise died down a little, probably, when the arrivals inhaled the mixed scents of the boys who were already present, then two pairs of shoes started running up the stairs.  
Not even seconds later, Jisung and Hyunjin sped into the main hall, eyes widened in concern. 

“Binnie! Channie-hyung! What happened?”, the omega exclaimed in worry, gaze switching between his leader and his friend, that still stood within Chan's arms.  
“Are you guys alright?”  
Hyunjin didn't say anything, but his eyes were dark with concealed protectiveness.

Changbin waved them off reassuringly.  
“There was a snake, but it's gone now!”, he explained vaguely, not having to say anything more for his two friends to understand.  
They all knew of each other's fears.

In this moment, the rest of the hunting party entered the room, carrying a dead dear with them, Jeongin panting under the weight. 

“Why thanks for letting us carry this on our own!”, Minho huffed as he let go of the prey, it falling to the floor with a low thud that made Chan wince.  
Even if the animal was dead, it somehow still felt wrong to treat it so respectlessly. 

Jisung only grinned.  
“Is the big bad alpha too weak for this small peace of meat?”, he mocked, Minho starting to growl at him, but Woojin quickly stepped between them. 

“Well, I'm glad to see, everything is fine up here!”, he exclaimed, nodding in Chan's direction.  
“Are you okay as well?”, the oldest asked, somehow making the blond feel uneasy under the boy's gaze. 

Although the other leader was always polite and gentle, Chan couldn't help but feel a little weird within his presence.  
Especially, if Woojin stared directly at him like that, his intense eyes not shifting from the blond's own. 

“Yeah, Seungmin did a great job with stitching me up back then!”, he assured, throwing the healer a quick smile, just so he could break the eye-contact with Woojin.  
Normally, it was important to him to look someone in the face while talking to them, but the other leader somehow was a whole different story. 

Woojin sighed deeply.  
“Alright, now then, who's gonna help me with our food?”, he questioned, gaze scanning all eight boys around him. 

Although Chan wasn't sure whether he wanted to be alone with the oldest, he raised his hand, knowing, that that was something, he at least could do, even in his state.  
He had to be of some help and not just sit around lazily. 

But before Woojin could say something to his volunteering, Seungmin cut in with a stern voice. 

“Nope, not gonna happen, Chan-hyung!”, he objected, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
“Enough walking around for you today. All you're gonna do, is lay down so I can check on your wound!” 

Trying to protest, Chan opened his mouth, but Felix rapidly shaking his head at him from behind Seungmin let him rethink his choice.  
Maybe it was better to shut up. 

Giving in, Chan nodded curtly, Felix visibly relaxing, as a satisfied smile spread on the healer's face. 

Chuckling, Woojin pushed his hands into his sides.  
“Anyone else?”, he asked, now that Chan was out of the question. 

Hyunjin's and Jeongin's hands shot up simultaneously, and the two boys giggled, when they realized each other's reaction.  
Woojin let out a breath. 

“Oh lord, please let them be of use!”, he mumbled quietly, Minho apparently having heard his leader's words as well as Chan, because the younger alpha snorted under his breath before patting the oldest's shoulder. 

“You'll be fine!”, he assured in an amused tone, his friend shooting him an exasperated look.  
Then, Woojin stepped back to their prey, heaving it into his arms with a low grunt. 

“Jesus, this one's heavier than the last!”, he muttered, before turning towards Hyunjin and Jeongin.  
“Come on, you guys, let's get going!”, he ordered, both boys nodding in affirmation, following him out the back exit. 

Chan was left, still standing next to Changbin, who pouted.  
“Now I have to wait even longer for Jinnie!”, the short boy muttered dejectedly, blowing against a few strands, that fell into his eyes.  
Chuckling, Chan ruffled his hair affectionately. 

“I'm sure, Sungie would like to cuddle with you!”, he told his pack-mate, who threw him a disgruntled look. 

“But Jinnie's warmer!”, he whined, earning himself an offended “Yah!”, from Jisung, who had been talking to Felix and Seungmin.  
Chan knew, what Changbin meant, though. 

Alpha's simply had a higher body temperature and a more calming scent, when it came to an omega in distress.  
That's part of what their scents were there for, after all. 

“He'll be back, don't worry!”, he comforted his friend, who only huffed, before walking over to Jisung and wrapping his arms around his younger pack-mate's middle, the other omega welcoming him by nuzzling his temple with his nose in a playful gesture. 

Smiling, Chan turned his back on them and crossed the hall towards their resting place, carefully lowering himself on the sheets, that still held Seungmin's smell.  
The leader didn't mind though, the healer's scent was anything but unpleasant. 

Just on cue, the tall omega stepped up next to him, a few herbs within his hands, that he placed beside himself, as he kneeled down on the floor.  
“So, did they reopen?”, Seungmin cut right to the point, motioning for Chan's injured side. 

Focusing on his cuts, Chan closed his eyes shortly. There was a faint sting, that burned a little, but other than that, the pain was bearable, nothing new.  
He slowly shook his head. 

“I don't think so!”

Seungmin nodded.  
“Alright, let's take a look at it then!”, he mumbled, his hands pushing Chan's shirt up to be able to carefully unwrap the bandages around his middle, the leader holding himself up on his arms to help the younger. 

Discarding the luckily unbloodied fabric, Seungmin examined the sewn cuts.  
The skin around them looked a little irritated, sporting a faint red, but it didn't look inflamed yet in Chan's eyes. 

The healer beside him apparently came to the same conclusion, as he muttered some words in approval, starting to rip apart some of the herbs to create a new ointment to put onto the wounds to keep them uninfected. 

“In a little more than a week, I'll have to pull out the stitches!”, he explained, his attention not shifting from his task.  
Chan tensed in fear. 

“Will that hurt?”, he asked, inwardly cursing his wavering voice.  
Seungmin snorted. 

“Well, by far not as much as putting them in did!”, he replied dryly, and that statement alone was enough to calm Chan a little.  
He honestly wasn't keen on going through that kind of pain ever again.  
Even now, shudders still ran down his spine whenever he thought back to his operation. The operation, that had saved his life, sure, but that hadn't exactly made the agony any less torturing.

Spreading the strongly reeking ointment he had just created, on Chan's skin, Seungmin leaned back, his hand still green from the herb's fluids.  
“There, almost done!”, he mumbled, more to himself than to Chan, as it seemed and cleaned his hands swiftly by rubbing them over his clothed thigh. 

“I guess, we can reuse your old bandages for now.”, he then explained, grabbing the band-aids from beside him and motioning for Chan to prop himself up again.  
Following the omega's orders, the blond watched, as Seungmin wrapped his wounds again with quick movements, until no cut was left out in the open to see. 

“You're really good at this!”, the leader hummed, flashing the omega a warm smile.  
Grinning at the compliment, Seungmin beamed at him. 

“Well, I didn't study this shit for years for nothing!”, he boasted, earning himself a playful glare for his cursing. 

“Come to think of it!”, Chan began while the healer pulled his Shirt back down.  
“How DID you get so savvy in everything concerning medical topics?” 

It had bugged him from the very start, if he was honest.  
Although after the third world war, more doctors and paramedics had survived than people of other jobs, gaining access to their knowledge had been close to impossible.  
They were a part of the higher-ups, those groups of mighty people, that had claimed the leadership of the left-over countries for themselves, and they hardly associated themselves with the common survivors. 

Sure, there had been constitutions similar to schools, but they had only taught the basics, such as reading, writing and basic survival, as well as the little information the rest of the human population had found out about the new second genders – which honestly wasn't much. 

Seungmin could have self-studied medical terms from old books, since he obviously knew how to read in both, English and Korean, but to get ones hands on medical books was another impossible task on it's own, for the paper-written pieces of art, how Chan saw them, were very valuable, them being the only things that still carried knowledge and stories from before the war.

Humming, Seungmin leaned himself back on his hands.  
“Woojin's and my family was pretty powerful, back in the city!”, he explained, gaze darkening at his own words.  
“My parents and our whole group consisted of only alphas, since my dad was on the impression, that omegas were too weak for proper survival within this world.”  
He chuckled humorlessly.  
“Funny how the second gender only started a new war of gender roles, just like it had been before with males and females.” 

Chan cut in at this point, eyes widening.  
“You know about the time before the war?”, he asked surprised.  
That was knowledge he had gained over very questionable ways of stealing, sneaking and lying, since he had been so damn desperate to know about the world before the great war, and although he wasn't proud of his actions, he never regretted them either. 

Seungmin nodded.  
“Yeah, like I said, my family was pretty strong and powerful.”  
He averted his eyes.  
“Since I was the only omega, I didn't really have many rights or influence, but Woojin demanded for everything I wanted or needed, and therefore, I was able to get my hands on a lot of books, which I gained my knowledge from.”

Chan felt himself clench his jaw at the younger's words.  
He knew about the gender roles before the war and he also knew, that not much had changed, despite the catastrophes, that had almost wiped out the whole human population.

Yes, women and men were long equal now, but only because the second genders had given the people another way of discrimination. 

Now, the omegas were the apparent weak ones, while the alphas took over the strong role.  
It was really ridiculous, how narrow-minded the average human being was. 

Seungmin seemed to sense his inner anger, because he soothingly put his hand on top if Chan's. 

“Let them be!”, he mumbled.  
“It's not a discussion, either of us would be able to win.”  
He sighed.  
“At least, we're out of the city and far away from people like that!” 

Tensing up lightly, Chan faked a small smile.  
“Yeah, you're right!”, he agreed, while silently turning his hand into a fist. 

'I wish you'd be right!', he thought to himself.  
'I really wish, you'd be right!'  
__________

As the afternoon turned into evening, the group started gathering around the burning campfire again, that Minho had reignited while Woojin, Hyunjin and Jeongin had been gone preparing the meat of their prey. 

Not much later after the flames had been flickering high towards the ceiling again, all three alphas had returned from the lower stores, carrying sticks with pieces of meat picked up on, ready to be roasted over the fire. 

Minho used the chaos of his leader trying to get Jeongin and Seungmin to help him and Hyunjin with setting up their makeshift-cradle, to sneak out of the building once more. 

He heaved a relieved sigh, as soon as the old wooden door of the main entrance closed behind him with a creaking thud, locking out – or rather in – the noise the four boys made, Chan laughing along from the sidelines, as Minho had been able to hear on his way down the stairs. 

Now, only the quiet air of the night surrounded him, making him shiver within his simple sweatshirt.  
Woojin had been right.  
They had to make their trip to the old shopping center they had visited the last three years, pretty soon, or winter would reach here without them being prepared for the coldness it would bring. 

Wrapping his arms around himself to warm his body up a little, Minho crossed the clearing towards the stream. 

It's soft rushing sound swept over his ears like a sweet melody, as if inviting him to step closer.  
Doing just that, the alpha reached the shore of the stream, the water curling itself around some stepping stones within the creek.  
It looked dark and threatening to him, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to really feel scared in the face of it's apparent peacefulness. 

Taking in a deep breath, Minho discarded his clothes on the sandy ground.  
A shiver ran down his spine, as he stepped into the stream, it's coldness reminding him once again of the arrival of the colder season. 

Determined to not show any weakness, even though he was pretty sure, that no one was watching, Minho pressed his teeth together and waded deeper into the water, until it was covering his entire legs, reaching up to his waist.  
His breath stuttered within his chest, when he felt the fluid playfully licking at his skin. 

Somehow, taking a bath on his own with no one within reach to help him, in case something would go wrong, was always a kind of thrilling activity.  
Not that Minho would ever ask someone to accompany him.  
The alpha hated it, if anyone else was present while he washed himself. Woojin was the only one acceptable, but even his best friend was unwanted most of the time, Woojin sticking to Minho's wish of privacy.  
It was one of the many little things, his leader did for him, and which the alpha was thankful for. 

Sinking to his knees, so that the water would reach up to his neck, Minho took in a sharp gasp.  
Scolding himself inwardly for his wimpy-ness, he started scrubbing his body and his hair, trying to ignore the numbing coldness, that crept up his limps and slowly paralyzed his fingers. 

By the time he deemed himself clean, his hands were blocks of ice, almost too immobile to close the button of his pants, that he pulled back up over his still damp legs, even after him rubbing his skin close to dry with his sweater.  
But eventually, Minho managed, quickly washing his sweater as well, wringing it out before he slipped back into his boots. 

Black boots he had once found within an abandoned apartment, on his way away from the city.  
Back then, they had been a little too big. Now they fit him perfectly.  
Never since then he had needed new shoes, the boots fighting through rain and snow to keep his feet warm and dry. 

Well, there had been many times, where they hadn't been successful in denying all of the invading water from outside access, but nonetheless, Minho sometimes was surprised, that the overused shoes still held together after all these years. 

Leaving the laces open for the short way to the apartment-tower, Minho started heading back, torso still bare and his washed sweater within his right hand.  
Above him at the black sky of the night, the moon shone brightly, lighting up the clearing, as well as some stars beside it that blinked innocently within the darkness. With a smile, the alpha threw one last glance towards the beautiful sight, before he sprinted up the stairs in front of the building, desperate to get out of the chilly air. 

Upon opening the main door again to be able to enter the building, mixed voices and the crackling of the campfire rolled over him, as well as the delicious smell of roasted meat. The latter made his empty stomach growl loudly.  
Even though the alpha had gotten used to only eating something proper in the evenings, especially during exhausting days like today he learned to know what hunger felt like. 

Not that he hadn't know it before - no - everyone within this broken world had experienced the pain of an empty stomach before, but somehow, the nagging feeling within his guts managed to surprise him every time again, like it were something new to him.

“Minho, are you back?” Woojin's loud voice echoed within the dark hallway, startling Minho, who still stood at his spot next to the closed front door. 

“Yeah, I'm coming!”, he yelled back, heading towards their store-room where he had left the other sweater, that he owned. 

“Alright, hurry up, we wanna eat!”, his leader exclaimed from above, the oldest's words letting Minho accelerate his steps until he was rushing down the stairs to the ground floor, being in and out of the room again within the blink of an eye, just to grab his sweater, before he was back on his way towards the main hall, pulling the fetched cloth over his head mid walk. 

The action almost sent him flying, since got close to missing a step of the stairs during his temporary blindness, but he caught himself in time, regaining his balance just before he would have crashed into the stony railing beside him. 

“Good thing, no one saw that!”, he sheepishly mumbled to himself.  
That would have been embarrassing!

Upon finally entering the main hall again, Minho was greeted by the, by now, familiar circle their groups liked to form for at their dinnertime.  
Within it's middle was the flickering campfire that painted the whole room a warm orange, only interrupted by dark shadows of the alpha's friends, cast against the walls around him. 

Slowly, Minho crossed the hall, heading for the space next to Woojin, who welcomed him with a nod as soon as the dark-haired alpha lowered himself down beside his older friend.  
Handing him a stick, already prepared with a piece of meat, his leader smiled. 

“Min, your hair is still dripping!”, he scolded warmly, mockingly ruffling his broad palm over Minho's head.  
Grunting, the alpha slapped his friend's hand away. 

“Get your paws off, I'm not ten!”, he grumbled, Woojin only grinning at him, the oldest's eyes shining so brightly, that Minho couldn't help but chuckle as well, as he carded his own fingers through his wet strands. 

“Did your nightly bath free your mind?”, Woojin asked, changing the topic.  
His voice was still low enough, that they were not disturbing the conversations going on around them. 

One loud voice however, toned everything else around Minho out and reminded him again, why he had needed a timeout in the first place, apart from the fact, that he had wanted to wash himself. 

Jisung! 

The alpha's gaze crazed the omega's frail form opposite him, the boy currently busy telling his blond leader about their hunt, arms whipping through the air so wildly, that Minho feared for the nearby seated Changbin, who ducked just in time to avoid a slap by his younger friend's hand. 

Sighing, Minho slumped his form, his shoulder's sagging in defeat.  
“What the hell is wrong with me, Woo?”, he mumbled confusedly, not daring to look his friend in the eye during the question. 

“What do you mean?”, Woojin replied, his tone implying, that the oldest knew exactly, what the dark-haired alpha was asking about, but wanting to hear it from his friend directly.  
Huffing, Minho sat up again. 

“I mean the fact that somehow, my inner wolf seems to go crazy whenever Jisung is involved!”, he whispered, voice even quieter than before since he was scared, that anyone else could maybe pick up on his words.  
His friend chuckled lightly. 

“Goes crazy?”, he repeated bemusedly.  
“In what context?” 

Pulling his stick back from the fire and blowing against his now roasted meat, Minho thoughtfully stared into the flames.  
“I don't really know!”, he answered faintly.  
“Somehow, whatever he says, riles me up, but at the same time, I get irritated, when he doesn't talk to me as well.”  
He groaned.  
“I even got pissed at you before during our hunt, just because he smiled at you!” 

Woojin snorted.  
“Yeah, I noticed!”, he replied, but there was no sharpness to his tone.  
Mildly, the oldest continued.  
“I guess, you're just especially protective over him for some reason! Like, he has piqued your inner wolf's interest and now, you're trying to figure out how to deal with that, hence you having confusing emotions.” 

Letting out a low whine, that would have been embarrassing for Minho, if Woojin hadn't been the only one to hear it, he sunk his teeth into his food, involuntarily moaning at finally getting something into his empty stomach. 

His friend beside him gave a soft laugh.  
“Don't let it get to you too much!”, he advised.  
“I'm sure, you and Jisung will get along fine with time! He's pretty eager to get on your good side, if you ask me!” 

Only rolling his eyes in reply, Minho wordlessly chewed his meat, silently observing the young omega at the other side of the campfire, who apparently had already eaten up - however he had done that during his entire narration about their hunting trip - because the boy was currently busy trying to throw nuts into Jeongin's open mouth, the youngest happily giggling along to Jisung's stupid activity and complying whenever the omega raised his hand again with a new piece of food to aim it at Jeongin's face. 

Shaking his head, Minho swallowed before turning back to Woojin, who was examining the situation with raised brows as well.  
“You know, I think I'll be just fine with not interacting with him!”, the dark-haired alpha commented dryly, his friend only snorting in reply. 

“Does anyone want any mushrooms?”, Felix dark voice cut through their respective conversations, the freckled alpha holding up some brown pieces. 

Immediately, Chan, who was seated beside the orange-haired boy, scooted away from him, practically sitting himself down in Hyunjin's lap.  
The blond leader wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust. 

“Would you be so kind to get them away from me?”, he asked Felix, who only giggled while waving the mushrooms around. 

“Did you know, Woojin-hyung?”, he exclaimed bemusedly in his own leader's direction.  
“Chan-hyung's afraid of mushrooms!” 

Surprised, Minho switched his gaze over to Chan, who vehemently shook his head upon Felix statement. 

“I'm not afraid of them!”, he objected indignantly, suddenly appearing a lot younger than when he pulled off his unfazed leader-role.  
“I'm just not very fond of them and their taste!” 

Jisung cut in at this point, giggling lightly.  
“Channie-hyung, 'not being fond of them' is not enough to express your general hatred towards mushrooms!”, he outed his leader, who shot him a disgruntled look. 

“Yeah, you absolutely despise them!”, Changbin pointed out as well, grinning while he high-fived Jisung beside him.  
“You behave like they could jump you as soon as you get into a five-feet-radius of one!” 

Minho expected Chan to defend himself again, but instead, the leader shuddered lightly. 

“Who knows!”, he replied in a peeved tone, that the dark-haired alpha had never heard from him before.  
“I wouldn't put it past those rotten bastards!” 

His apparently serious statement somehow set something off within Minho, because before the alpha could help himself, he found himself breaking into an unexpected laughing fit, which he didn't seem to be able to recover from. 

“Seriously, Chan!”, he wheezed between fighting for breath.  
“I was taught to never laugh about a person's fears, but mushrooms?”  
Another wave of laughter bubbled up from within his chest, rocking his body and denying him the oxygen he so desperately needed at the moment.  
Woojin patted his back while softly chuckling along. 

“Didn't see that coming either!”, the oldest grinned in Chan's direction, the blond leader letting out a sulky huff. 

“Like I said!”, he mumbled offended.  
“I am not afraid of them, I just don't like them!” 

Minho, who was just about to calm down a little, heard his muttered words and bend over again, cackling.  
“Thanks, Hyung, that really made my day!”, he panted, as soon as his body was able to sit back up again, not getting shaken by any further seizures of amusement. 

Seemingly appeased by the fact, that he at least had caused the mood to go up, Chan smiled lightly.  
“Wasn't that today's hunt's job?”, he gave back, returning to his former place on Felix side, who had stored the mushrooms away within a small bag Seungmin had fetched for him from the shelf behind them.  
“Sungie told me, you made the kill!” 

Surprised, that the omega had told his leader that many details about their hunt, Minho nodded.  
“That's right, but only after he tracked the deer down by it's scent and helped me corner it!”, he admitted honestly, his gaze focused on Chan, only so that he wouldn't have to meet Jisung's eyes. 

What kind of expression would the omega be wearing during Minho's praise?  
He would have liked to know nonetheless. 

“At first, I was pretty surprised to find out that he knew how to hunt at all, since Changbin and Hyunjin didn't seem too excited to take him with us during our first hunt!”, he continued, Chan laughing slightly at his words.  
Grinning, Minho continued.  
“But he made a pretty good impression. My sincere respect!” 

On his back, the alpha could feel Woojin's warm hand, as his leader gave him an approving pat for his straightforward praise and friendliness.  
For once, Minho welcomed the gesture. 

Hyunjin snorted, interrupting the conversation between Chan and Minho and pulling the looks of everyone present to himself. 

“Don't mistake this as his general performance during a hunt!”, he stated dryly, while his fingers fiddled with the empty stick within his hands, that was left from their dinner.  
“I bet you, it was because I dared him to be successful before!” 

“Oh, you dared him! That explains a lot!”, Changbin commented as well, a grin spreading on his face as his dark eyes shone mischievously. 

Jisung spoke up again, seemingly offended.  
“I would have hunted something down regardless of your dare!”, he snapped sulkily. 

Woojin cocked his head to the side.  
“What exactly has his success to do with a dare?”, he asked in confusion. 

Changbin only snorted and Chan heaved out a very exhausted sounding sigh. 

“Please don't ever dare Sungie to do stupid stuff, because whatever it is, he will do it and he will make it possible somehow!”  
The blond leader threw Minho a warning look.  
“I'm serious!”, he repeated insistently.  
“Don't do it! It can get really dangerous for him!” 

Jisung pouted.  
“Why yes, hello, I'm present as well, for everyone who seems to have forgotten about that fact!”, he grumbled lowly, Minho barely picking up on it, since his focus was currently on Chan. 

Woojin raised one brow.  
“Seriously? Everything?”, he probed, the other leader only nodding in defeat. 

Snickering, Hyunjin turned to Changbin, who was petting a sulking Jisung's head.  
“Binnie, remember the time you dared Sungie to take a bath within that dirty pond?”, he asked, the short omega smirking. 

“Sure, I will never forget that glorious day!”, he grinned, Jisung now slapping the dark-haired omega's hand away from his hair. 

“So what, if I did it!”, the omega huffed.  
“You guys were just wimps for not doing it, too!” 

Chan rolled his eyes.  
“Sungie, you smelled like something died on you for five days straight!”, he commented dryly, Hyunjin cackling beside him. 

“Oh that somehow sounds familiar!”, Seungmin interrupted them, a malicious grin on his face.  
Unfortunately, Minho knew exactly, what the healer was implying. 

“I did not enter that puddle voluntarily!”, he snapped in the omega's direction, Felix starting to cackle and Woojin fighting hard to hide his own amusement at the memory. 

Seungmin put on an innocent expression.  
“Well, it was by natural cause!”, he replied indifferently, Minho scoffing at his words. 

“You fucking pushed me!”, he exclaimed in offense, earning himself a light jab against his shoulder from Woojin for his curse. 

Seungmin only shrugged.  
“Gravity is natural!”, he explained, Felix by now wheezing from laughter. 

Pointing at the tall omega, Minho clenched his jaw.  
“Just you wait, I will get back at you for this!”, he promised Seungmin, who only grinned back at him mockingly.

“Alright, before anyone smothers anyone else in here...”, Chan interrupted them, reaching behind him for another bag him and Felix had brought home with them from their little trip. “...does anyone want a strawberry?” 

From beside Changbin, Jisung perked up, eyes widened in hope.  
“You found strawberries?”, he asked disbelievingly, a wide smile spreading on his face, when Chan reached into the bag, only to pull out a hand full of round little red fruits. 

“Oh my god, Hyung, you are my hero!”, the omega cheered, leaning over Felix lap and snatching himself a few before he devoured them with a blissed-out expression, eyes closed in delight.  
“So good!”, he mumbled, cheeks puffed up in a way that made Minho think of a squirrel again, when he looked at the brown-haired boy. 

Chan smiled.  
“Knew, you'd be happy about them!”, he chuckled, handing the leftover berries to Hyunjin, who took one and passed them on to Minho. 

The alpha kept two for himself, letting the rest roll into Woojin's stretched out palm.  
When he carefully bit down on one, he immediately understood Jisung's reaction. 

The strawberries were unusually sweet, probably because they had been reaped so late, giving them enough time to ripen properly, and the alpha felt them melt on his tongue, seducing his taste buds.  
An involuntary sigh slipped through his lips. 

“Right?”, Jisung exclaimed, and Minho needed a few seconds to realize, that the omega had addressed him with his yell.  
Only being able to agree, he hummed affirmatively. 

Jisung beamed at him with a happy grin lighting up his face, his eyes sparkling from beneath his messy bangs.  
It made something within Minho's chest flutter.

“Strawberries are the best!” 

Felix, who by now had gotten some of the fruits as well, nodded in mock arrogance.  
“Better thank Chan-hyung and me for finding and bringing them home!”, he ordered jokingly. 

Jisung leaned against the freckled alpha with a fake smile.  
“Thank you, oh great Lix, for getting me strawberries!”, he chirped, making Jeongin and Seungmin cackle. 

Chan gave the omega a chastising slap on the thigh.  
“If you mock us, you're not gonna get any fruits the next time we find some!”, he threatened which got him an immediate reaction from Jisung, who sat up and shook his head in horror. 

“Please do not prevent me from eating strawberries!”, he begged, the distress within his words sounding so sincere, that Minho broke into a small laugh, Woojin chuckling along with him. 

Apparently being at a loss, the blond leader shook his head in despair.  
“You and your strawberries!”, he sighed. 

Raising his finger as if to lecture his older friend, Jisung put on a, what Minho assumed was meant to be a sophisticated expression. 

“Strawberries equal life!”, he solemnly explained, Changbin beside him only rolling his eyes, while Felix broke into another fit of laughter.  
__________

While the evening went on, Changbin noticed, how Chan fought to keep his eyes open.  
The leader hadn't been on watch the last few days, since he hadn't been allowed to climb the stairs up to the platform on top of the building, but apparently, today's walk had exhausted the blond more than he wanted others to let on. 

Again and again, Changbin observed, how Chan's eyelids drooped a little, the boy's eyes widening every time he realized himself drifting off, before the short omega had enough.

“Woojin-hyung?”, he chimed into the ongoing conversation, which topic he wasn't too sure about, since his focus had been on his leader for the last few minutes. 

Expectantly, the oldest raised his gaze, looking at him wordlessly with a warm expression.  
Clearing his throat, Changbin went on.  
“Could we maybe discuss the watches for tonight? I think, Chan should sleep!” 

He had been reluctant at first to out his friend like this, because he knew, that Chan rather kept all of his emotions to himself, but on the other hand, he by now trusted the other pack enough to let them in on the fact, that his leader was exhausted. 

“No, no! Channie's fine, I'm awake!”, the blond immediately cut in, straightening his posture a little, his hand going through his messy blond locks. 

On the other side of their formed circle, Changbin could see Woojin and Minho freeze at the leader's words.  
Shortly, it was quiet, the silence apparently lulling Chan back into his dazed state, because his eyes fluttered shut again.  
Then, Woojin's gaze switched to Changbin. 

“Did he just...?”, he asked incredulously, Minho beside him still looking back and forth between him and Chan. 

The omega nodded with a sigh.  
His leader certainly wouldn't be pleased about the fact that his little quirk had been revealed, but that wasn't on Changbin.  
Chan himself had started speaking in third person after all, so it wasn't as if the dark-haired boy had outed him about that. 

“Chan starts referring to himself in third person, when he's overly exhausted.”, the omega explained, not missing the light eye-smile that ghosted over Woojin's features. 

Shaking his head in disbelief, Minho carded a hand through his hair.  
“That's surprisingly cute!”, he stated, only then catching up on what he had just said about the other leader.  
Seemingly panicking, he waved his hand around in defense. 

“I mean, because normally he's the dangerous looking alpha that would certainly rip my head off, if I would even try to look weirdly at his friends and now I find out, he has pet-names for himself!”  
The alpha lowered his arms back down after his explanation.  
“It makes him appear more human...”, he trailed off concludingly. 

“Don't be mistaken, he could still rip your head off!”, Jisung commented dryly, sending a shiver down Changbin's spine with how true his statement was. 

He himself had basically spent his whole life with Chan ever since he had been ten years old, and there had been about four times, when his friend had gotten really angry because of things, Changbin would rather not remember.  
Something, he couldn't forget, though, was the brutal force and the raw power, that came with his leader's anger.  
Not in a thousand years would Changbin step into Chan's way when the blond was angry.  
He knew, his friend would never hurt him, but that didn't change the fact, that Chan was fucking scary when he was pissed.

Shuddering, the short omega shook his head.  
“Nope, I really wouldn't recommend making him angry!”, he mumbled, barely loud enough for the others around him to hear. 

Seungmin shrugged his shoulders. “I can understand, why Chan-hyung's tired. He's still healing after all, that requires a lot of energy!”, he explained, gaze wandering over the blond leader, who, by now, was leaning against Hyunjin's shoulder, the tall alpha having shifted closer to his leader so that the blond could relax a little.  
Then, the healer looked at his older brother. 

“I can take the first watch!”, he offered, Jisung's hand shooting up right after. 

“So can I!”, the brown-haired omega exclaimed, apparently eager to get back to his favorite spot on top of the building. 

Smiling, Woojin waved them off.  
“Alright, you guys take over first watch!”, he agreed, his eyes scanning the round of boys.  
“Anyone wanna do the second one?” 

Minho grunted while raising his arms over his head to stretch.  
“Sure, Imma do it!”, the alpha yawned, throwing a look over to Hyunjin.  
“You wanna help me?”, he asked, the tall alpha immediately nodding. 

Changbin had already noticed, that Hyunjin had been more comfortable with the other alphas the last few days.  
Especially around Jeongin and Minho he seemed to relax a little and Changbin had observed him more than once, flashing a timid smile in Woojin's direction as well. 

“Can I be on third watch?”, Changbin questioned, his words directed at Woojin, who raised an eyebrow at him in surprise. The omega knew, why. 

He had been on the last watch the day before, together with Jeongin, and normally, it would be Chan's turn, since the blond had had the whole last night to sleep, but Changbin didn't want his leader to have to guard tonight. 

“Please let Channie rest!”, he pleaded quietly, as to not wake his sleeping friend by the mention of his name.  
“If he falls asleep like this within a group of people he doesn't fully know, it means he's really tired!” 

Jisung nodded along to his words.  
“Normally he's way more careful!”, he agreed. 

Woojin hummed in understanding.  
“And you will manage?”, he asked Changbin with a concerned look. 

Making a declining gesture with his hand, the short omega shook his head.  
“I didn't do much today, since I didn't help with the hunt!”, he stated, but the oldest opposite him frowned. 

“But you went into shock today and adrenaline can tire one out, too, once it wears off again!”, he objected, surprising Changbin with the fact, that the alpha had even thought as far as to take into consideration, that he had had a scary encounter today.  
Nonetheless, Changbin smiled. 

“No, it's fine, Minnie helped me!”, he assured, Seungmin blushing from beside Woojin.  
Said alpha nodded. 

“Alright then, third watch is yours!”, he exclaimed while his right hand began ruffling through his younger brother's hair, probably to praise the healer for his actions today.  
It somehow made Changbin envious.  
He wanted to get praised, too. 

“I'm gonna be your partner then!”, Woojin added, looking at Changbin again as if to ask him, whether that was okay with him.  
The omega simply nodded.  
It wouldn't be the first watch he would spent with the other leader. He trusted the oldest.

“Okay, then it's settled!”, Minho mumbled with a yawn, rubbing a hand over his face.  
“I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna go and catch some sleep now!” 

Immediately, Jeongin was on his feet as well, strolling after the older alpha, who was slowly rising from his spot next to Woojin before grabbing the blanket he had been sitting on and dragging it two meters further away from their circle before settling down again, the youngest right by his side, as he got comfortable. 

Somehow, the scene seemed familiar to Changbin and he remembered the first night, his pack had spent at the apartment-tower, scared, exhausted and cornered.  
Now, he felt way more relaxed and save around the other pack, trusting them even a little.  
It was funny, how fast things could change within only a little over a week. 

Jisung sighed.  
“Well, guess we're gonna head for our post!”, he told Seungmin, the healer scrambling to his feet with a nod.  
Both omegas bid their good nights and disappeared through the back exit towards the staircase. 

Woojin, too, let out a yawn.  
“I will go to sleep as well!”, he informed Changbin and Hyunjin, the latter still sitting in his spot with a peacefully snoring Chan on his shoulder. 

“Do you need any help with him?”, the oldest asked, hand gesturing to the sleeping blond. 

Changbin however, denied his offer.  
“Thanks but we'll manage!”, he assured, flashing Woojin a small smile.  
“Good night!”, 

The alpha hummed in reply and waved them one last time before rising from his position as well and joining his pack, Felix trailing after him. 

Changbin turned to Hyunjin.  
“We should just scoot a bit away from the flames. Maybe, if we're careful, he won't wake up!”, he suggested, his friend nodding in confirmation. 

Pushing himself into a standing position, the short omega stepped towards the tall boy, carefully helping him to lift their seemingly boneless leader up.  
Together, they managed to set their bedding a few feet away, lowering Chan back onto the sheets.  
Hyunjin grunted lowly. 

“How can he weigh so much if he's not even that tall?”, he whispered to not wake their - surprisingly still asleep - leader. 

Changbin shrugged.  
“Muscles?”, he proposed, already kneeling down at Chan's side to be able to snuggle into the blond's warmth. 

Chuckling, Hyunjin followed suit, wrapping his arm around Changbin's middle from behind and spooning him in the process. 

“Ah, warm!”, the omega sighed contently, when the tall alpha's body heat got passed onto his own form, dispelling the coldness, that had started to creep up his limbs, now that the campfire was slowly burning down.  
It still wasn't particularly cold within the hall, but Changbin had always been one to freeze easily. 

“Night, Binnie!”, Hyunjin mumbled from behind him, the alpha's voice soft and barely above a whisper.  
It made the omega smile. 

“Good night, Jinnie!”, he murmured back, before the exhaustion of the day rolled over him, carrying him into the land of dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i noticed, i end most of the chapters with them falling asleep somehow...but even though i know it's not ideal, i cant come up with other endings:/
> 
> suggestions are welcome!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone fights, but not in a bad way!;)
> 
> Warning!  
> Detailed description of a Panic attack/PTSD!  
> Mentions of past rape/non-con

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's another chapter! I decided to Keep this up with posting one chapter on sundays and the other one on monday. It's easier for me that way.
> 
> Also, if you guys are interested, check out the second part of this series! There i will also post stories or moments i hint at in the book, but which aren't that important for the main plot!

Over one month had passed ever since the other pack had joined them, and Minho had to admit, that by now, he wasn't even really expecting them to leave anymore. 

Chan's wound was healing well and pretty quickly.  
It was almost abnormal to Minho. But then he always remembered the time, when he had been injured and Seungmin had taken care of him, and the fast healing process of the other leader didn't seem too supernatural anymore.  
His own cut from back then had also closed faster than he had expected it to.

The last few days, the packs had been pretty busy, hunting food and stocking up on everything eatable, which lifespan was longer that the one of meat, as well as collecting enough wood for them to be able to keep their campfire alive during the cold nights. 

Minho had noticed, how the days had gotten shorter with the time, the wind cooler and at some mornings after particularly freezing nights, the clearing around the building was covered in frost already. 

The trees of the forest had changed too, now sporting bright colors like red, orange and yellow, instead of the usual green and Jeongin was out more often than usual, busy collecting ripe chestnuts, since the youngest loved the brown marbles. 

More than once, Minho had already slipped on one within the building, because Jeongin left them seemingly everywhere.  
The good part about that was the joyful grin on the younger alpha's face whenever he brought new chestnuts home and on top of that, they could also be used as fuel for their fire.  
The bad part about Jeongin's obsession was, that it had already happened four times, that Minho had lain down at night to sleep, only to jump back up with a pained yelp, because he had thrown himself onto one of the hard little pieces of shit that shone so innocently within the flickering light of the fire.

All in all, Minho could feel, how autumn had arrived, the season bringing a lot of rainy days and windy weather with it. 

Today is was sunny for a change, the temperature having gone a little above the now usual chilly norm, but Minho sat within the main hall of the apartment-tower nonetheless, silently trying to peel one of Jeongin's chestnuts from their brown skin to distract himself from his boredom.  
Because that's what he was: bored! 

Since they had taken care of all necessary tasks the last few days, today they had nothing left to do, and Minho wasn't exactly sure what to do with his newly gained free-time.  
He wasn't the only one, though, because Jisung had been whining ever since this morning. 

The omega lay a few meters away from the alpha on the bare floor, staring at the painted ceiling of the hall while mumbling some things under his breath.  
Not too far off, Felix was with them as well, silently sitting on some sheets while his eyes looked into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. 

Hyunjin, Seungmin and Jeongin had run off somewhere, the three boys having become inseparable over the past month, and Chan, Changbin and Woojin had gone down to the stream to take a bath. 

Minho's thoughts got interrupted by Jisung heaving an exasperated sigh, as the omega rolled to his knees, sitting himself up. 

“Argh, I'm booored!”, he whined, throwing his head back dramatically, his brown hair bouncing around with the movement.  
Minho simply ignored him, keeping his focus on the chestnut within his hands, but apparently, a bored Jisung was an annoying one, the younger boy not even thinking of letting Minho off the hook. 

Shuffling sounded, when the omega scrambled to his feet, only to let himself plop down beside the alpha. 

“Hyung, I'm bored!”, Jisung repeated grumpily, starting to poke Minho's side with his index finger.  
Inwardly rolling his eyes, the dark-haired boy shrugged, fighting his inner wolf down, a task he had gotten pretty good at within the last few weeks. 

“If you're waiting for me to care, I hope you brought something to eat, because it's gonna be a long time!”, he replied indifferently, slapping the younger's hand away, as the omega tried to reach for his halfly pealed chestnut.  
Jisung groaned once more. 

“Come on, don't be such a nudnik!”, he protested, pulling on Minho's sweater.  
“Do something with me!” 

Furrowing his brows, the alpha looked up.  
Something about the omega's words had caught his temporary interest. 

“The fuck's a nudnik?”, he asked confused. 

Jisung, apparently happy, that he had gotten Minho's attention at last, shrugged.  
“Dunno, Channie-hyung used it once!”, he explained.  
“Supposedly, it's a boring person!” 

Going back to his previous task of assaulting the no longer all brown nut between his fingers, Minho nodded in understanding, not letting himself get riled up over Jisung's insult.  
It was new anyways, that the omega went near him without any of his friend's in sight. 

Ever since their shared hunt, the brown-haired boy had gotten braver with talking and acting around Minho, even going so far as initiating conversations.  
Sure, they still bickered most of the time, but the alpha felt, as if they both had begun to accept each other.  
He, at least, was slowly getting used to Jisung's presence.

Understanding, that he wouldn't be able to get through to Minho, the omega huffed sulkily before changing his victim and heading over to Felix.  
Throwing his head into the freckled alpha's lap, Jisung blinked up to the orange-haired boy, fluttering his eyelashes jokingly. 

“Lix, tell me I'm pretty!”, he chirped, his fake voice forcing Minho's lips into an amused grin despite his efforts to not let the omega's antics get to him.  
Felix stopped staring into space and lowered his gaze to Jisung's eyes, his hand softly cradling the brown-haired boy's face. 

“You're pretty fucking annoying, that's what you are!”, he replied sweetly and this time, Minho couldn't hold his cackle back. 

Offended, Jisung puffed his cheeks up.  
“I hate all of you!”, he grumbled, rolling himself off Felix lap, the alpha smirking at him. 

“No you don't!”, the freckled boy retorted, sending Jisung a flying kiss. 

Both boys had gotten pretty close over the time the other pack had been here, as Minho had noticed, and they seemed to get along great, seemingly always sharing one single brain cell, when it came to stupid decisions. 

Only four days prior, Woojin had had to save them both out of raging water because the two idiots had thought, that trying to surf down the stream on top of a tree trunk during heavy rainfall was a good idea to practice one's balance. 

Even if Minho had been able to swim and therefore help them, he wasn't too sure if he hadn't maybe just let them drown.  
Sure, everyone was entitled to act stupid once in a while, but Jisung and Felix really abused the privilege on a daily basis.

Jisung started whining again, but got interrupted as the main door creaked open and haste steps hurried up the staircase, before Woojin entered the hall, followed by Chan and Changbin, all three of them sporting wet hair and bare torsos.  
On Chan's stomach, Minho could see the uneven scar his wound had left behind, the cuts still visible, even though they had healed by now. 

Seungmin had pulled his seams two weeks ago and insisted, that the blond had to be careful, even now, one month later, but apparently, so far the leader didn't seem to have met any complications with his old injury. 

“I have an announcement to make!”, Woojin exclaimed, getting the attention of Minho, Jisung and Felix, as well as the one of the two boys behind him.  
“Can someone maybe find the triplet?” 

Triplet was the word they had started to use for Hyunjin, Seungmin and Jeongin to save themselves from having to list their names up every time they went missing together. Which happened quite often nowadays. 

“Sure, I'll get them!”, Felix complied, rising from his position and disappearing out of the room.  
Excitedly, Jisung, who had followed the freckled alpha with his gaze, turned back to Woojin. 

“Do you have something for us to do, Hyung?”, he asked hopefully, the oldest laughing in reply. 

“Kind of, yes!”, Minho's friend answered, and in that moment, it dawned on the alpha. 

“Ohhh, that kind of announcement!”, he realized, carelessly discarding the now fully pealed chestnut. It landed near the fireplace, but Minho didn't spare it another glance.  
Woojin's idea was way more interesting. 

“You plan on going there tomorrow?”, he asked, now getting livelier as well at the sight of having something to do. 

Woojin nodded, busy pulling his dried sweater, that he had washed two days prior, over his head before he crossed the hall to sit down beside Minho.  
“If we don't do it soon, it'll be too late!”, he answered thoughtfully. 

Chan, who had put on his old blue sweater, within which Minho had met him the first time, joined them on the ground. 

“Excuse me, but you guys are talking in riddles at the moment. Would you be so kind as to let us in?”, he joked lightly although his eyes were sporting a serious expression. 

There had been a few times within the past month, when the blond had warmed up a little, momentarily discarding his leader-role and embracing the joyful boy Minho assumed he normally was, but all in all, Chan was still a mystery to him.  
He knew, Woojin had come to like the boy to a level, that his leader even got a little protective over the blond, but nonetheless, Chan didn't let anyone get closer than right before the walls the boy had build around himself, his friends being the only ones to know the passcode to the gates to his heart. 

And Seungmin, surprisingly. 

Minho had already assumed, that the healer knew a little more about Chan, that he himself did, and his hypothesis only got proven by how close Seungmin and Jeongin had gotten to the other leader, often sitting with him and listening to stories the blond was so good at telling. 

A few times, Minho had tried to get the healer to spill his knowledge about Chan, but the tall omega kept his mouth shut, not telling Minho or his brother anything and in the end the alpha had started to respect that.  
He knew, that Seungmin was loyal and if the information the healer had about Chan, would endanger their pack, the omega would talk to Woojin. 

“Let's just wait for the other four so I won't have to say it twice!”, Woojin soothed the other leader, Chan nodding in understanding.  
As if on cue, Felix bolted back into the room, followed by the rest of their group. 

“What's going on?”, Jeongin asked, plopping down to Minho's other side.  
The younger alpha had gotten more outgoing too, seemingly having gotten used to the other pack, and now, he talked way more often than before, having left behind his quiet role that he had taken up for the first two weeks after the other boys' arrival. 

Affectionately, Minho ruffled Jeongin's hair.  
“Woo's planning the trip for tomorrow!” 

Realization brightened up the young alpha's features as he gave a soft 'Ohh'. 

“Everyone here?”, Woojin asked one last time, his eyes scanning their circle, before he started, apparently having counted eight other faces.  
“Alright! Okay, so every year, right before winter, we make a trip to a nearby shopping center, that got abandoned during the war!”, he explained seriously. 

Minho nodded along.  
He knew about the center, because he had been there trice already. 

“It's still full of stuff and I hope to be able to get us some more clothes and maybe other useful items for the colder seasons.”  
He took in a breath before continuing.  
“I'd like to go there tomorrow. The trip takes us up to two to three hours, because it's a little further away, but it's gonna be worth it!” 

Ending his announcement, he looked towards Chan.  
“I wanted to wait until your wounds are fully healed, but the days are getting shorter with every night passing and I don't think, we can afford to postpone the trip any longer.”  
He paused momentarily before adding.  
“I think it's better, if you stay here, though, Chan!” 

Shaking his head, the blond smiled, but somehow, the normally warm gesture sent a shiver down Minho's spine this time.  
Something was off!

“You don't have to worry about me!”, the other leader answered calmly.  
“Of course I will come with you. It's gonna be a great exercise after all this time!” 

Woojin frowned.  
“No, I really think you should stay here!”, he repeated. 

Apparently, Jisung, who sat between Hyunjin and Chan, noticed the changing atmosphere as well because the omega started shifting uncomfortably in his spot. 

“Woojin-hyung!”  
The blond leader's voice was soft, yet it sounded cold as ice for a moment. 

Next to Minho, his friend flinched in his seat, seemingly only now realizing the threatening aura radiating off Chan. 

“I said, I'm okay! I'm coming with you!” the other leader repeated one more time, now insistently.  
He didn't growl, didn't snap at Woojin, nor straightened his posture to appear taller like Minho was used to from other alphas.  
The blond simply sat there, his black eyes boring into Woojin, their focus not shifting. 

Minho could practically feel his friend fight against his inner wolf, that tried to growl at Chan and he held his breath, hoping, this wouldn't end in a fist-fight. 

Before, the blond leader had always just went along with whatever Woojin had said, never causing a riot or anything similar, but now, that Chan's injury was getting better, Minho got reminded of the fact, that the blond was, in fact, an alpha too, dispute settlement not engraved into his second nature. 

Chan was a warrior, a leader as well, and Minho began to understand, what power Changbin had been talking about, whenever the short omega had warned them all from making the leader angry.  
There was a reason, after all, why the blond had survived until now. 

Finally giving in, Woojin nodded.  
“Alright, but take care of yourself!”, he muttered, his eyes remaining on Chan for a little longer.  
The blond smiled once more, and this time, Minho was able to breath again. 

“Of course I will, don't worry!” 

From the corner of his eyes, Minho could see Changbin and Jisung heave a relieved sigh and Hyunjin relax his tensed up shoulders.  
Apparently, he hadn't just imagined the danger he had thought Woojin in. 

“Can I come with?”, Jisung chimed in hopefully while bouncing on his spot.  
“I swear I'm gonna behave!” 

Woojin chuckled, seemingly relieved about the change of topic.  
“Do you even know the definition of the word 'behavior'?”, he asked but was quick to give in to Jisung's puppy-eyes.  
“If Chan's okay with it, you can come with.”, he answered, Jisung turning to his own leader with a pleading look. 

Chan smirked.  
“Would be a shame, if I left my best fighter at home, now wouldn't it?”, he asked, Jisung hugging him cheerfully. 

“Thanks, hyung!”, the omega exclaimed. 

Sitting up now, Minho threw Woojin a questioning glance.  
“Will I be able to come, too?”, he asked, his friend nodding. 

“If we find two of us to stay behind and watch over the building, then yes!”, he replied. 

Immediately, Seungmin lifted his arm.  
“I volunteer to stay here!”, he stated.  
“I'm not too fond of long-distance-traveling!” 

Humming, Woojin turned towards Jeongin, who sat beside Minho.  
“Actually I'd like you to stay here as well.”, he admitted to the young alpha, who pouted dejectedly.  
“Your fighting skills aren't too good yet!”, the oldest explained apologetically. 

Sighing, Jeongin nodded.  
“Will you bring me something cool home, if you find anything?”, he asked and Woojin smiled fondly at him. 

“Sure, I promise!”, he assured the youngest, who immediately grinned again, changing his seat to shuffle over to Seungmin, who welcomed him with a soft jab against his shoulder, Jeongin giving him a light push back. 

“Does anyone else wanna stay here?”, Woojin asked, but no one raised his hand. 

Minho smirked,  
Maybe that trip would be fun. Normally it had only been him, Felix and Woojin, but now they were seven people, two of them huge crackheads-...  
On second thought, he sighed about the latter.  
Something would probably go wrong! 

“How good are your fighting skills?”, Minho asked experimentally, words directed at the other pack.  
A malicious grin spread on Jisung's face and Minho remembered Chan calling the omega his 'most talented fighter'. 

“You wanna find our for yourself?”, the brown-haired boy asked provocatively and this time, the alpha wasn't able to force back his inner wolf again.  
This time, he let it awaken, powerful and furious. 

“Think you can beat me?”, he grinned back at Jisung, whose eyes lit up with a certain fire, that managed to make Minho's chest burn as well. 

“Bring it on!”, the omega retorted, lowering his voice into a dark guttural tone.  
“Let's fight!”

“Woah, woah, woah, Sungie, hold up!”, Changbin chimed into their heated conversation.  
“No dead bodies tonight, if possible!” 

Chan shook his head.  
“I don't think it's that bad of an idea!”, he objected, straightening his posture.  
“We all haven't trained for a while and if we are going for a longer trip tomorrow outside this territory, then maybe brushing up on our knowledge about fighting isn't the worst we can do!” 

Glancing over to Woojin, who was thoughtfully nodding along to the other leader's words, Minho drummed his fingers onto his thigh impatiently.  
Jisungs challenge had riled him up and now he was ready to kick some ass.  
In a harmless manner of course, he didn't want to cause any injuries. 

Finally, his friend hummed.  
“I guess, you guys are right!”, he admitted.  
“We don't train very often, since we never really had to deal with other packs or intruder's aside from you, so maybe we can learn some tricks from you guys.” 

Just when Minho was about to scoff at his leader's statement, a competitive expression spread on Woojin's face.  
“That is, if you guys are better than we are!”, he added mockingly. 

Changbin leaned over to Jisung.  
“I seriously wanna win against Woojin-hyung!”, Minho heard him whisper, silent enough for no one else to notice.  
In that moment, Jisung looked directly at Minho, holding his gaze hostage for a few seconds before he grinned knowingly as if to show the alpha, that he was aware, Minho was listening. 

“Yeah, I wanna beat Minho's ass!”, he answered cockily, still holding eye-contact with the alpha, who felt his blood start to boil under the younger's provocative stare.

“How about we settle this downstairs instead of here within our living room?”, Seungmin cut in dryly, his finger pointing towards the main entrance. 

Chan rose to his feet at the same time as Woojin did, both leaders standing opposite each other, a positive kind of tension between them. 

“Minnie's right!”, the older commented, Chan nodding. 

“Agreed, let's head outside for this!” 

Jisung was on his feet before Minho could do so much as move. 

“Yey, fighting practice!”, the omega yelled, voice filled with excitement, as he jumped after Chan, who was already heading towards the exit, along with Woojin, Felix right at their heels.  
A sigh let Minho look up. 

“Do I have to?”, Hyunjin asked quietly, his expression not as carefree as his friend's ones. 

Minho smiled. He had always known, that the tall alpha was one of the softer type.  
Before he could answer, however, Seungmin beat him to it. 

“Of course not, if you don't want to fight, you can join me watching from the sidelines, as those idiots bash their heads in!”, the healer offered, a grateful look spreading on the tall alpha's face. 

“With pleasure!”, he answered, as he rose from his spot, reaching out his hand to pull Seungmin up as well, who giggled at the gesture.  
Minho frowned.  
Since when did the omega giggle? 

“You guys can watch me learn how to fight!”, Jeongin exclaimed, the young alpha pushing himself up and grabbing Seungmin and Hyunjin to pull them towards the door.  
“At some point, I'll be able to protect the both of you!” 

Their laughter faded away in the distance, as the triplet disappeared down the stairs, only leaving behind Minho and Changbin. 

“You ready?”, the short omega asked, words directed at Minho, who scrambled to his feet. 

“Well, yeah, ready to show you how it's done!”, he responded, Changbin snorting in amusement. 

“Don't get ahead of yourself!”, the buff boy warned, before suddenly, a more serious expression darkened his features.  
“Don't hurt Sungie!”, he warned Minho. 

Huffing, the alpha shook his head. He had almost expected some similar statement from the overprotective dark-haired boy, but somehow, Changbin's lack of trust in him, even after several weeks, somehow affected him. 

“Just because we quarrel often, doesn't mean I'm a monster that wants to hurt him at all costs! He may be annoying, but I do not, in fact, hate him!” 

Changbin raised one eyebrow.  
“I know that!”, the omega replied.  
“But I can also see, that your inner wolf reacts to him pretty vehemently and I don't know you well enough to be able to say whether you are able to control it properly or not!” 

Admiration for the short boy's sincere answer flowed through Minho and he softened his gaze, his inner sulkiness vaporizing into thin air.  
“I won't hurt him!”, he promised, Changbin relaxing at his words. 

Within seconds, the playful look was back within the omega's eyes. 

“Alright, let's go downstairs, I wanna watch Sungie kick your ass!”, he joked as he stood up as well, dusting off his pants.  
Minho scoffed. 

“You do realize that 'not hurting him' does not equal 'going easy on him', right?” 

Changbin only giggled in reply while passing him.  
“Of course not!”, he threw back over his shoulder as headed towards the staircase.  
“That would be embarrassing for the both of you!” 

“Good to know!”, Minho mumbled under his breath before he followed the omega. 

When Minho stepped outside onto the clearing, the first thing he registered, was the warmth of the sun that shone down upon them from a blue, cloudless sky.  
It was unusually warm for a day during fall, but thanks to that, the grass was dry, not going to soak their clothes when they would practice. 

Woojin and Chan had already started searching the clearing near the entrance for stones and other hard objects they could possibly injure themselves with, if they fell on them, Jisung and Felix helping them a little further away. 

Pulling his sweater off his body and leaving himself in only a t-shirt, Minho threw the piece of clothing towards the spot where Seungmin and Hyunjin had settled down.  
He wouldn't need it for the next hour, that, he was sure of. 

“Ready?” a voice beside him suddenly asked, making Minho jump in surprise. 

“Jesus, Woo, you scared me!”, the alpha huffed, as he recognized his friend beside himself.  
Grinning, the oldest shrugged. 

“If you don't even realize me walking up to you, then how do you expect to catch Jisung's fists?”, he mocked, Minho clenching his jaw at his friend's words. 

“Point taken!”, he mumbled, to which Woojin only laughed lightly while patting him on the shoulder. 

“We haven't fought in a while!”, he added thoughtfully as his attention shifted over to Chan and Jisung, who had already started warming up by throwing soft punches at each others arms.  
Minho could see, that Jisung tried to hold back his strength, probably to not accidentally hurt his leader's wound, but Chan was having none of his dongsaeng's concern. 

“Sungie, I'm fine, stop restraining yourself!”, the blond ordered sternly, the omega only nodding as he ducked to avoid Chan's next swing. 

The brown-haired boy's movements looked smooth and calculated to Minho and only now, that the boy wasn't wearing a sweater anymore but only a simple t-shirt, the alpha realized, how much the omega had changed within the last weeks. 

Jisung's once frail and undernourished body had gained weight in a positive way, now forming faint muscles under his skin from his constant climbing and running around.  
His cheeks weren't as hollow anymore and his hair and eyes looked shinier than before, making him appear healthy and strong.  
Now, that the boy didn't appear as dainty anymore, Minho finally realized, that Jisung was almost as tall as himself, only missing a few centimeters for Minho's height.  
The alpha bit his lip. 

He had feigned confidence before, but suddenly, he wasn't so sure anymore, whether he'd be able to easily beat the omega. 

Breaking up their individual warm-up, Chan and Jisung headed over to Minho and Woojin. 

“Are you guy's ready?”, the blond leader asked, throwing them a scrutinizing look.  
“You haven't warmed up yet!” 

Woojin nodded.  
“We were just talking!”, he explained before nudging Minho in the side.  
“Let's get going, Min!”, he suggested, words directed at Minho this time. 

The alpha felt excitement grow within his guts, as he followed his friend a few meters away, where they had more space to move around freely.  
In the distance, Minho could see Changbin and Felix, who were playfully trying to show Jeongin a few kicks.  
Smiling, the alpha turned back to Woojin, who was moving his shoulders and arms around to loosen up his muscles. 

“You wanna compete against Chan?”, Minho asked his friend experimentally, the older swaying his head from one side to the other in a contemplating manner. 

“Maybe!”, he then said, his eyes beginning to narrow.  
“His attitude from before kind of riled me up a little!” 

Shuddering at the memory, Minho started stretching carefully to not pull a muscle later.  
“That was fucking scary, to be honest!”, he admitted while bending his right leg until he felt a light strain within it.  
“For a minute I really thought, you guys would go for each others' throats!” 

Chuckling, Woojin shook his head, jumping up and down a few times to get his legs to move as well.  
“It wasn't that serious, but I had to try hard not to growl.” 

Stopping his movements, he added more quietly.  
“Technically, he is the better leader, but somehow, my inner wolf wasn't too willing to accept that fact!” 

Coming to a halt as well, Minho frowned. 

“Who said, he's the better leader?”, he asked indignantly, his hand going to his hip.  
He had always seen Woojin as his captain and best friend, and in his eyes, the older was doing a great job at looking after their pack and keeping a cool head in difficult situations.  
How could the alpha question his own abilities when he had never made any major mistakes? 

Woojin, however, only smiled.  
“It's not about past actions but about a certain kind of character, that he has but I don't.  
Like a feeling, a special feature.”, the oldest explained calmly.  
“Even though Jeongin hates strangers, Chan managed to get him to trust him within only one week! Seungmin, too! And Felix would already follow him into battle, if necessary!”

Thinking his friend's words over, Minho noticed, how Woojin was right.  
Three of their pack-mates were trusting Chan already, and even though Minho was still wary towards the blond, since he still hadn't figured out, how the leader had gotten his injury, the alpha couldn't really blame his other pack-members. 

Chan was strong and kind, protective of the ones he was close with and calculating when it came to making decisions.  
His scent was calming for everyone around, the blond never lashed out on anyone and knew exactly, how to talk to everyone individually to make them feel comfortable. 

Woojin was right! Chan had a certain kind of talent, that the oldest lacked.  
Sure, Minho would always put his friend first, but for example, Jisung still seemed to not trust Woojin completely and even though the oldest was also kind and motherly, Minho knew that his friend sometimes struggled with controlling his inner wolf. 

“I guess, I get what you are trying to say, but even though you're right, I don't want to agree with you!”, he muttered, making Woojin laugh lightly.  
“Do you think, he will try to take your place as the leader?”, Minho then asked more quietly. The thought somehow made him angry.  
But his friend shook his head. 

“No, Chan isn't that kind of person. He never even challenged me before, never purposefully tried to rile me up just to make a certain point!”, he objected.  
By now, Minho and the oldest were starting to circle each other as the beginning of their test-fight to get them warmed up. 

Woojin continued.  
“Before, he only made clear, that he won't accept me making decisions for him as a person, but other than that, I'm pretty sure, he respects me!” 

Humming, Minho quickly searched his memories for any situation, within which Chan might have tried to dominate Woojin, but he had to find out, that his friend was - once again - right. 

The other leader had never tried to force his thinking onto the oldest, always treated him with respect and always discussed major topics with Woojin before making decisions.  
All in all, Chan seemed perfect. Almost completely flawless, if Minho thought about it. 

That fact let him get even more suspicious of the blond.  
Perfection was an illusion, used by those who tried to hide something!  
At least that was what his mother used to say when he was a child. 

“I don't trust him nonetheless!”, he grumbled lowly. 

Woojin smirked.  
“I don't either!”, the oldest admitted before suddenly jumping forward and landing a light punch against Minho's right shoulder.  
Perplexed, the alpha stumbled two steps backwards before he caught himself again and went back into a slightly crouched position, his knees bend lightly to have a better balanced posture.  
Growling faintly he leaped at Woojin as well, his foot colliding with his leader's thigh with a low thud.  
Returning the favor, his friend closed in again, only to be greeted by another kick from Minho's other leg, the oldest countering with throwing a few more punches. 

A few minutes later, Mino felt sweat starting to form at his back, dampening his shirt.  
Even though the sun, that shone upon them, was weak, compared to the heat it had brought them during summer, it still warmed him up and paired with the physical labor, coldness turned into a long forgotten memory in the back of his head.

“Think, you're warmed up?”, Woojin asked, his hand pushing his hair out of his eyes as he turned to Minho.  
Nodding, the alpha fanned himself some air with his hand. 

“Sure, I don't wanna loose my energy after all!”, he grinned.  
“Let's go back and join the others!” 

Both boys turned around, only to be able to witness, how in that exact moment, Jisung threw Felix to the ground with a loud thud, the freckled alpha grunting at his impact with the grassy soil.  
Landing on the orange-haired boy's chest, the omega grinned down at Felix. 

“Do you give up?”, he asked cheerfully while holding his friend's hands down to make him unable to move.  
Felix started laughing. 

“Sure, you win!”, he replied, Jisung letting go of him immediately and rolling off his chest onto his own feet, reaching out a hand to help the freckled alpha up. 

“Good fight!”, the omega praised happily, Felix humming in agreement.  
Then, they both turned their heads towards Minho and Woojin, who, by now, had reached the free space on the clearing they used as a fighting ring. 

“All warmed up?”, Felix asked, Woojin only responding with a nod.  
Jisung grinned maliciously. 

“Wanna get your ass kicked then?”, he asked mockingly.  
His question seemed to be directed at both arrivals, but his eyes were boring themselves into Minho. 

Said alpha could feel a fire within him start to burn once again, heating up his insides.  
“Aren't you a little full of yourself?”, he gave back, Jisung only baring his teeth through another grin. 

Woojin grabbed Felix wrist.  
“Come on, Lix, let's fight! We haven't fought in, like, forever!”, he exclaimed unnecessarily loud while pulling the confused freckled boy with him,  
Over his shoulder, he threw Minho one last warning look, the alpha only nodding in silent understanding. 

He would be careful to control his inner wolf! 

Focusing back on Jisung, Minho cocked his head to the side.  
“Wanna try to beat me or are you gonna chicken out?”, he questioned sarcastically, the omega snorting. 

“You wish!”, he retorted, starting to circle Minho, who followed suit. 

Minho felt the tension between them rise with every step they took around each other.  
Somehow, the omega looked more mature, now, that he wasn't joking around anymore, just like the time they had been hunting together.  
As the alpha eyed his opponents face, a slightly unsure expression ghosted over the omega's features, darkening them for a second, but it was gone before Minho could make sure, whether it had ever really been there in the first place.  
He shrugged it off, a grin spreading on his face. He would win this fight and wipe the overconfident smirk off of Jisung's lips! 

Experimentally, he let out a low growl, the sound coming from deep within his chest.  
There had been times, where he had competed with omegas, when such a simple thing as a guttural sound had been enough to make them give up, but to his surprise, Jisung didn't falter in the least. 

On the contrary! 

His eyes flaming, the omega returned the growl, baring his teeth at Minho in a provocative manner, that let the alpha's inner wolf squirm and trash around, wanting to fight back.  
And with the certainty, that he was still the one in control over his actions, Minho let it do just that.  
He attacked! 

Jumping forward he turned around for a powerful kick that he meant to sweep the omega off his feet with, but Jisung dodged his leg with a velocity, that the alpha had never seen before, dancing around him with swift movements and avoiding every of his attacks. 

Irritation started to bubble up within Minho, as even after a few minutes, he still hadn't landed a single punch, always only hitting sheer air. 

Jisung, on the contrary, had started throwing some kicks and blows as well now and because Minho had never really focused on dodging before, he didn't manage to block all of them, earning himself some faint bruises on his sides and legs. 

Growling once again, he took the offensive once more, trying to get a grip on Jisung, but the omega sidestepped quickly, diving past him and using his momentum to get him to loose his balance. 

Stumbling forward, Minho tripped and within seconds, he felt the omega's weight on his back, pushing him down into the grass.  
Growling, Minho wanted to try and throw Jisung off, but before he could react, the omega's body got lifted off his own, letting him get back up again.  
Scrambling to his feet, Minho threw the omega an annoyed look. 

“What was that for?”, he demanded to know, carding his finger's through his sweaty hair.  
“I didn't give up yet!” 

Nodding, Jisung inspected his nails with a bored expression.  
“I know, but let's make this the test-round.”, he lifted his gaze to stare at Minho.  
“We're starting now, and this time...”, his voice dropped even further. “...I want you to fight me properly!” 

Biting his lip to not growl at the Omega again, Minho went back into his fighting position, his head lowered a little as he eyed Jisung through his bangs.  
“Fine then!”, he responded slowly.  
“Let's have a real match!”

They started circling each other again, but this time, Minho was more careful.  
As he had learned from their previous fight, Jisung was quick and agile, and therefore especially good at dodging his attacks, so the simple technique of jumping in head-on, that Minho normally used during fights with Woojin, wouldn't work in the omega's case. 

Adjusting is own movements a little to the ones of his opponent, the alpha started making lighter and smaller steps.  
If Jisung was used to a more defensive kind of combat style, then he had to be more passive as well, not giving the omega any attacks which the boy could use to counter anything. 

Feigning an another strike, Minho leaped at Jisung again, but this time, he pulled back right before he normally would have reached the omega, returning into a defensive position with both his arms raised to protect his face from any possible upcoming blows. 

Jisung, however, didn't look surprised in the slightest.  
On the contrary! 

A knowing sparkle glimmered within the omega's narrowed eyes and only a second later, realization hit Minho hard. 

Of course his opponent would notice his change of approach, if he made it obvious like that! Jisung wasn't known as the mind-reading part of their groups for nothing! 

Internally slapping himself, Minho bared his teeth at the omega, only to cover his embarrassment and not let it be visible to Jisung, that he had made a mistake.  
Instead, he forced his lips into a smirk, again attacking the younger opposite him, but pulling back last second. 

Watching his opponent closely, Minho could see Jisung's legs twitch whenever the alpha started a new fake assault, wanting to move and fight back.  
Apparently, the calm facade the younger was showing, was nothing but fake as well. 

Minho was about to do his new move again, when suddenly, Jisung leaped forward, catching him off guard with his velocity and landing a well-placed kick right in the alpha's stomach, that pressed the air out of Minho. 

With a loud groan, he tumbled backwards, but caught himself again quickly.  
The kick hadn't been as strong as Minho was used to from the omega from past experiences, aka their first meeting, but it send a slight pain through his body nonetheless and let his inner wolf rise with bared teeth. 

Vigorously, the alpha forced it back down.  
He was pretty sure, that even on instinct he would never hurt Jisung, since the younger had become a part of his pack in some ways, but he hadn't tried it out yet and a fight was probably not the best situation to do just that.  
Minho knew, Chan was somewhere near, and he honestly wasn't picking any chances on this matter. 

He really liked his head where it was and wanted to keep it!

Focusing back on Jisung, Minho saw the omega standing away in a distance of about two meters, expectantly watching him with calculating eyes, still within his defensive fighting stance.  
It actually was surprising, now that the alpha thought about it, that the most hot-headed and outgoing omega he had ever met, used a completely reserved combat style.

Not having the time to brood over the matter, Minho decided to go all out.  
Jisung was good, he had to admit that, but the alpha wasn't gonna loose this fight now, even if he had to donate his soul for this win! 

His brows furrowed. 

Jisung obviously always waited for him to attack first and then dodge his strikes, redirecting his energy and power.  
It was smart and probably made up the lacking strength Jisung had compared to Minho, but it wasn't flawless either. 

Because to dodge an attack, you need to either have very good reflexes, or you are able to foresee your opponents movements.  
And although the alpha guessed, Jisung had both, he was pretty sure, that the omega was no kind of superhuman. 

Therefore, he went for the style of combat he was familiar with the most: Devious Offense!

Without further warning, Minho sprinted forward, heading directly for Jisung, who looked a little confused at first, but got ready for the alpha nonetheless, holding his stance.  
Again, Minho faked his first strike, but this time, he directly went for another one and then for a third, practically dancing around the omega. 

Said boy had clenched his teeth together as far as Minho could see, twitching from one side to the other, unsure of how to attack the alpha the best and trying to figure out, when Minho would finally actually hit him.  
A grin spread on Minho's face.  
Now he had the upper hand! 

Throwing a punch at the omega's head, he expected Jisung to block it and to his delight, the boy did just that, raising his hands to his side for Minho's fist to collide with his stronger forearms instead of his sensitive cheek. 

Quickly, the alpha simultaneously kicked at Jisung's legs, trying to rob the omega of his balance, but unfortunately, he only reached his opponents left foot. 

Realizing the purpose of his attack, Jisung, only still standing on one leg for the moment, wanted to jump backwards, probably to get away from the alpha's direct hits, since, if it came to close combat, Minho was sure, that he was a little stronger.  
But the alpha felt his energy starting to fade away and therefore, he couldn't keep this fight up for that much longer. 

With one quick movement, he grabbed Jisung's wrist and pulled him back, the omega almost slamming right into his chest from the momentum, only that Minho sidestepped last minute, letting Jisung fly past him and to the ground, where the omega landed within the tramped down grass with a low thud and a groan. 

Not wasting his chance, Minho leaped at the omega, landing on his stomach, from where he grabbed both of the boys arms, holding them down to prevent Jisung from moving. 

“Hah, finally I got you!”, he growled with a triumphing grin, leaning over the omega a bit, who was staring up to him with widened eyes. 

When Jisung didn't respond, Minho let the corners of his lips fall down again, confusedly examining the younger beneath him.  
Was the omega pissed? Or had Minho maybe hurt his pride? 

“Jisung...”, he started but was cut off by Jisung beginning to vehemently thrash around, pulling at his caught wrists to get himself free.  
Minho grinned.  
So the omega didn't want to give up yet!  
Tightening his grip, the alpha tried to keep his balance on the convulsing body of the younger, when suddenly, he realized the widely blown pupils of the omega. 

Ragged breaths ripped off Jisung's parted lips and his expression certainly didn't look like he was trying to win. 

It looked like Jisung was trying to survive! 

The sight was somewhat familiar to Minho and the flaming adrenaline that had flown through his veins before, froze on the spot, leaving him feeling cold as ice, the warmth of the sun above him seemingly not existing anymore.  
The omega was in sheer panic! 

The exact moment this realization hit him, a blood-curdling scream erupted from Jisung's chest, letting Minho flinch hard at the loud sound and brought memories back to him from their first encounter. 

The next moment, the alpha was harshly shoved off from on top of the screaming boy's body, the push letting him roll over twice before he came to a halt.  
Immediately he turned around to see what was happening, only to stare right into dangerous dark eyes. 

Over him, Hyunjin was towering with all his height, staring down at him with a murderous glare and bared teeth.  
The alpha's eyes looked weirdly dead and emotionless and for the first time ever since they had met, Minho understood, why the pretty boy with the endearing giggle was born an alpha, a strong and menacing creature. 

Right now, Minho felt like cowering beneath the younger's look, ready to bare his neck.  
He didn't however.

“What did you do?” Changbin's voice was a raging howl as he stepped beside Hyunjin, not looking any less frightening than his tall friend as he glowered at Minho with a furious stare.  
“You promised not to hurt him!” 

Forcing back an instinctive growl at the threat imposed at him, Minho raised his hands in defense.  
“I didn't do anything, I swear!”, he protested heavily, almost dislocating his neck in the attempt to throw a look at Jisung, who was sitting within the grass next to a frantic Chan, ragged wheezes falling from his lips. 

Their sound hit Minho harder than he had thought they would. 

“Well, you must have done something! Sungie doesn't get like that without a reason!”, Changbin snapped, attempting to step up to Minho, but Hyunjin stretched out his arm, preventing the raging omega from doing that, for which Minho was a tad bit grateful. 

But one look thrown at Hyunjin's emotionless expression told the alpha, that the tall boy only did it for one sole reason.  
To be able to kill Minho himself if he found out, the dark-haired alpha had hurt his younger friend! 

He gulped heavily. This was not good!  
__________

Jisung realized, he had fucked up bad the moment, he lost his balance. 

He also knew, he was gonna panic, even before he slammed into the ground and far before Minho's weight pressed him down.  
He knew, it was gonna happen and since the world had somehow decided to let him experience this moment in slow-motion, he had more than enough time to brace himself for the upcoming wave of memories, that flooded him every time he got caught in situations like this one, but despite his preparation, it hit him so hard, his breath got knocked out of his lungs. 

Desperately trying to keep his sanity, Jisung gasped for air, his eyes staring up to the dark-haired boy on top of him in the helpless attempt to remind himself, that this was just Minho, who was holding him down, just Minho's hands, that were wrapped around his wrists, immobilizing him.  
But somehow, although his brain knew of all those facts, his stupid body didn't want to listen. 

His vision went dark until all he could see was the disgusting grin, of the alpha who had bestowed him with this trauma, his ears only being able to hear the bastards low growls and heavy pants. 

That was, when Jisung's panic kicked in fully and his mind got filled with one single word: Fight! 

And that was what he did. He fought. 

Squirming and thrashing around, Jisung tried to free himself, to get the imprisoning grip around his arms to loosen, the weight on his stomach to shift, but to no avail.  
He was caught, and forced down, unable to help himself, and cold-blooded fear ran through is veins, as Jisung's brain imagined scenarios, of what would happen next. 

Involuntarily, the omega's lips got forced apart, as a scream erupted from deep within his rib-cage, carrying all his fear, anger and despair out into the air, that suddenly felt chilly to Jisung, although he was sure he had been sweating only a minute ago. 

He was ready to start another attempt in freeing himself, when suddenly, the weight on his chest got lifted off of him, finally enabling him to shuffle backwards, his ragged breaths immediately filling his seemingly empty lungs with needed oxygen again. 

The darkness around him slowly cleared up and he was able to hear the sounds around him again, his nose no longer smelling sour sweat, blood and lust but the calming scent of his leader, just like back then. 

When Jisung was finally able to take in his surroundings again, he was met with the sight of his two pack-mates' backs, who stood in front of him like a protective wall. 

“What did you do!”, Jisung heard Changbin ask right in that moment sounding furious.  
Minho's voice mumbled some incoherent words the omega failed to understand, but the alpha's tone didn't sound aggressive in the least, only carrying a hint of regret and confusion within it. 

Slowly, it dawned on Jisung what had happened, and he scrambled to his feet, sending Chan, who cowered beside him, a grateful, yet reassuring look.  
He had to handle this or else there would flow blood today, or so he assumed. 

The realization, that his biggest fear would be out in the open for everyone within the other pack to know, was making him sick and he felt his stomach churn uncomfortably, but there was no helping it.  
He had to explain this whole mess after all, and he had been the one to discover Minho's weak point back then, so basically, fate was only making them even! 

“Well, you must have done something! Sungie doesn't get like that without a reason!” 

Changbin's shout forced Jisung into action and he rose to his full height before inhaling deeply, his ragged breath haven't yet calmed down again, before he let out a loud yell, pulling all attention to himself. 

Minho wasn't at fault! This was all on himself!  
__________

“I don't know, what I did!”, Minho repeated, his hand going through his damp hair nervously.  
“We were only fighting and I held him down...” 

His speech got interrupted by a loud yell from behind Hyunjin and Changbin.  
As both boys parted to turn around, Jisung came into Minho's sight, now standing again. 

His eyes still held a harried expression, pupils blown wide, and his chest was trembling from his quivering inhales, but his mouth was pulled into a determined line. 

“It wasn't his fault!”, the omega breathed out, his voice wavering slightly.  
“He did nothing wrong!” 

Changbin slowly took one step towards his obviously scared dongsaeng. 

“But he held you down! He should have...”  
His sentence go cut off by Jisung again, who shook his head impatiently. 

“He didn't know about it because I didn't tell him!”, the boy explained, his tone now steadier.  
“So if anything, it is my fault for not wanting to expose my fear to him!” 

Carefully, Minho stood up to not be the only one in a seated position.  
From the corner of his eye, he could see Woojin throwing him a concerned look, silently asking him, if he was okay.  
His friend had waited in the sidelines, not wanting to rile the conflict up even more by stepping in, but Minho knew, the alpha would have interfered, if someone really would have attacked him. 

Waving Woojin off, he focused back on the other pack opposite him.  
He could handle this!

“Jisung, are you okay?”, he started off in a calm and soft voice, forcing his strong scent back a little to not scare the omega even further.  
He could see something shift within Jisung's eyes, but the boy replied nonetheless. 

“It's okay, Minho! It wasn't your fault!”, Jisung assured him, holding eye-contact with visible effort.  
“I didn't tell you beforehand!” 

Cocking his head to the side, Minho dared to take one more step towards the younger.  
From his left, he could practically feel Hyunjin tense up at his movement, but he ignored the tall boy.  
The alpha wouldn't attack him without a proper reason. 

“Tell me what?”, he asked instead, gaze still focused on Jisung, who seemingly couldn't hold his stare anymore, the boy averting his eyes. 

“Of my fear!” The omega sighed gravely.  
“I didn't want you to know about my fear, so I relied on my skills, hoping you wouldn't be able to get me down!”  
He chuckled humorlessly.  
“Guess I underestimated you. Sorry!” 

Confusion was the only word to describe Minho's feelings at the moment. 

“Wait, wait, wait!”, he cut in, raising his hands.  
“I'm sorry to press on this matter, but I belief you'll have to be more specific in order to prevent things like that from happening in the future!” 

From both of his sides, the alpha could practically feel Changbin and Hyunjin relax a little.  
Apparently, he had dodged their wrath for now. 

Jisung nodded hesitantly.  
“I guess it's better like that!”, he murmured before lifting his gaze again to fixate Minho. 

“I am terrified of getting held down or being immobile due to any reason!”, the omega then explained with a stoic voice.  
“If I get held down, something in my head goes off and I panic! I can't control it and I can't control my actions whenever it happens, so I am sorry, if I hurt you somehow.”

His revelation left Minho speechless for a few seconds. Then it clicked. 

“So that's what happened when I ran into you during our first meeting!”, he realized, his words earning him a nod from Jisung and a light gasp from Changbin, the short omega turning to his younger friend. 

“You and Minho fought back then?”, he questioned incredulously, Jisung only humming in reply, the faint beginnings of a grin spreading on his face. 

“But back then, I won!”, the omega stated, Minho only rolling his eyes as he wasn't able to say anything against that. 

Ruffling his own hair, the alpha bit his lip.  
“You know, it wouldn't have come so far, if you would have just told me!”, he asked Jisung calmly, who lowered his head a little. 

“I didn't want you to make fun of me or something!”, the omega mumbled, his words barely audibly, if it hadn't been for Minho's enhanced hearing. 

“I would never do that!”, he rejected the idea vehemently, his hands going to his hips.  
“One never makes fun of another person's fear! That's low and unfair!” 

A slight giggle slipped from Jisung's lips.  
“Okay!”, he replied, now looking less haunted, his breath having normalized again.  
“Sorry I didn't tell you beforehand.” 

Shaking his head, Minho waved him off.  
“Sorry I scared you!”, he gave back, flashing the omega a slight grin before extending his hand. 

“All good?” 

Beaming, Jisung reached for his hand, wrapping his slim fingers around Minho's.  
His skin was cold, but his squeeze firm, as he nodded, eyes sparkling again. 

“Yeah, all good!”

“Thank goodness that this didn't turn into a real fight!”, Huynjin interrupted their moment with a relieved huff, the tall boy's tense shoulders sagging slightly.  
Within seconds, he looked like the harmless puppy again, that Minho had seen him as, but the alpha doubted that he would ever be able to forget just how intimidating Hyunjin could be, when his instinct as an alpha kicked in, forcing him to protect his pack. 

For a moment, Minho had been sure he could see his life flash before his eyes. 

Letting go of Jisung's hand, the alpha turned to Changbin. 

“Sorry I didn't completely keep my promise!”, he apologized while staring at the short omega in honesty.  
“I will be more careful in the future!” 

Changbin cleared his throat awkwardly.  
“It wasn't your fault!”, he repeated, sheepishly rubbing his nape.  
“I'm sorry I yelled at you before getting a hold of the whole situation!” 

Without warning, he stepped forward and brought the stunned Minho into a short embrace before letting him go again and leaping at Chan, who had observed the whole conversation quietly from behind Jisung, dark eyes unreadable. 

Now, they warmed slightly, as the blond wrapped one arm around his shorter friend reassuringly before sending the bedazzled Minho an approving nod.  
The leader had forgiven him, and the alpha was glad, no one seemed to brood over their little misunderstanding for too long.

“All right, guess we can continue now!”, Woojin exclaimed, giving a sign to Felix, who had stood with Seungmin and Jeongin a few meters away to keep the youngest out off a possible fight.  
“Jisung, do you need to take a break?” 

The omega shook his head.  
“I'm fine now, Woojin-hyung, don't worry!”, he assured, throwing Minho one last smile and turning to the approaching Jeongin, who was followed by Felix. 

Seungmin had sat down on the sidelines once more and Hyunjin was heading towards the healer again to take his rightful spot at the omega's side, away from everyone else's fights.  
Minho chuckled lightly. The tall alpha really didn't like combat! 

“Jeoginnie, want me to teach you some stuff?”, Jisung yelled towards the youngest, the black-haired alpha immediately jumping in delight. 

“Yes please!”, he cheered, skipping over to the omega, Felix running after him with a grin to join in on the lesson as well. 

Shrugging, Minho turned towards Woojin and stepped up to his friend, who welcomed him with a pat on the shoulder. 

“Well done!”, the oldest mumbled warmly, filling Minho with pride although he knew he hadn't done much.  
Woojin seemed to sense his inner thoughts. 

“You handled the situation nicely! Good thinking of you to not show any kind of aggression. I think that would have turned the tables, especially with Hyunjin!”  
Woojin chuckled lightly.  
“Man, that boy has more fire than I thought!” 

Minho shuddered at the memory.  
“Right?”, he gave back.  
“I was honestly a little scared at first! But Changbin wasn't to be taken lightly either!”, he snorted.  
“Who would have thought that the most childish one of them all could become this frightening during such situations!” 

Humming in agreement, Woojin let his gaze wander over Jeongin and Felix, who were currently intently listening to Jisung telling them something, the omega wildly gesturing with his arms like always, when he explained something. 

Curiously, Minho focused on their conversation, his enhanced sense of hearing enabling him to eavesdrop, even from this distance. 

“...have to be able to block and defend yourself!”, the omega said at that moment, expression serious.  
“If you can't block or dodge attacks, then every offensive power in the world can't let you win, because one strike from your opponent at the wrong time and you're dead!” 

Jisung pulled his thumb over his own throat to illustrate his words.  
“Many people, who pick fights, especially alphas - no offense, you two - attack first. You need to know how to react to that!” 

Minho nodded unconsciously, seeing the truth within Jisung's words.  
He himself liked to attack first to surprise his opponent and usually, only the ones with a good defense were able win against him. 

“Are you saying, we should attack faster than them or rather wait for them to make the first move?”, Jeongin's voice cut in, sounding genuinely interested in the matter.  
His eagerness brought a soft smile to Minho's face.  
From his spot beside Woojin, the alpha could see Jisung shake his head. 

“I'm not telling you on how to attack!”, he corrected.  
“That is something, everyone should find out for themselves. I, for one, am a rather defensive fighter. I rather wait for my opponent to attack to be able to understand their style of combat instead of jumping head on into a battle with a stranger, that could have some bad tricks up his sleeve.”  
The omega grinned.  
“But if you know your opponent already, feel free to hand their ass to them before they can even blink!” 

Minho couldn't help but snort at that.  
In that moment, Jisung threw him an amused look, one eyebrow raised mockingly and the alpha knew, the boy had realized, that he had been listening.  
Although they had never discussed the topic, Minho was pretty sure, Jisung knew of his enhanced senses, just like he knew of Hyunjin's. 

Sending Jisung a cocky smirk, he mouthed two words at the boy. 

'I won!' 

Laughter wanted to bubble up from his chest, when the omega's eyes flared up, provoked by the alpha's words, that he clearly had understood, even without tone.

“Excuse me, I need to beat someone's arrogant ass!”, Minho could hear him say, the omega looking ready to stomp over to him and challenge him to another fight, but Felix grabbed Jisung's wrist, holding him back. 

“Uh uh mister, you shove your foot up Minho's backside later! First you help me show Jeongin the basics of blocking. You're better at that than I am!” 

Grumbling, Jisung complied, throwing Minho, who was freely snickering by now, one last disgruntled look combined with a stuck-out tongue, before he focused back on the youngest, starting to show the black-haired alpha how to block incoming punches towards his head and throat.

“Mind telling me, why Jisung looked ready to end what Hyunjin and Changbin planned on doing before?”, Woojin's voice redirected Minho's attention back to his best friend.  
Cutting off his own laughter, Minho grinned at the older. 

“I might or might not have provoked him a little over the distance!”, he admitted slyly, Woojin rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. 

“I swear to god, one day you will get killed for using your snark at the wrong time!”, he sighed, Minho snorting in reply. 

“Not gonna deny it, but at least I'll get the final word that way!”, he joked, his friend face-palming in desperation. 

“I'm slightly concerned about your priorities!”, Woojin muttered under his breath, Minho reassuringly patting his friend's shoulder, before he remembered something. 

“Did you fight with Chan after all?”, he asked curiously.  
It really interested him, who would have won that kind of fight.  
Unfortunately, Woojin shook his head. 

“Minnie prevented us from having a proper fight!”, he sighed, his voice sounding extremely displeased with that fact.  
“He said, Chan's scar is yet to be resilient enough to be able to withstand a fight between two competitive idiots!” 

Minho nodded in understanding.  
If Seungmin had said that - which he surely had done, judging by Woojin's wording of the phrase - then it probably was better to wait. 

“When will his wound be fully healed?”, he asked, Woojin shrugging lightly. 

“Minnie said, scars reach their full potential after about three months, so I guess in a few weeks.” 

Frowning, Minho carded a hand through his hair as he watched the blond leader dodge some light punches thrown at him by Changbin, the two boys having a practice-fight a little further away. 

“Will he be able to make the trip tomorrow then?”, he asked in concern, his friend glancing at him from the side. 

“Well, you know, the last time I told him to maybe stay here, he looked ready to rip my head off, so good luck trying to get that information through to him without loosing yours!”, Woojin scoffed dryly, causing the alpha to hum. 

“Point taken!”, Minho mumbled.  
“Maybe we just leave him alone with that topic. That way, he's gonna be the only one, who dies, if something goes wrong!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope, everyone enjoyed this!  
> I actually like this chapter, because it's such a Milestone for Minsung's relationship/their trust in each other!
> 
> Also, i hope you guys were able to follow the fighting Scene. I actually did Kick-boxing for a while, so i know that it makes sense, how they moved, but i am unsure, if i was able to describe their attacks properly...
> 
> And last but not least: I dont have PTSD, which is why i can only use the knowledge i gained via reading about it. I do know, how Panic attacks work though.
> 
> Btw: if anyone is wondering about Hyunjin's duality in this one, i want you to look at stage-hyunjin, compared to normal-hyunjin. You'll know what i mean once you see it...;)
> 
> Oh, and finally: i'm posting the Boys backstories in my second book! for anyone who is curious!  
> (No, i'm not Advertising my book, not at all, why would you think that?)  
> And the Story, of how Jisung and Felix tried Surfing down the stream will be there as well, once I'm done with it! And a Moment between Woojin and Chan, but i still Need to finish that as well. I'll hurry up though!
> 
> See you guys tomorrow for the second update!:)


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of Jisung's Panic attack
> 
> Warning!  
> Mentions of rape/non-con; angst; PTSD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, second update for now!:)  
> It's filled with a lot of angst, so be warned!
> 
> Hope, you guys will enjoy it though!

The sun was already sinking beneath the horizon, coloring the sky in varying shades of orange, red and purple, when the group decided to call it a day. 

The air around Chan had noticeably cooled down, making him shiver slightly within his thin shirt and he quickly went over to the place, where he had discarded his sweater, picking it up and pulling it over his head to block out the chilly breeze that blew around them, coming from north.   
Immediately feeling warmer, the blond sighed in relief as he turned around to let his gaze wander over the clearing. 

Not far away from him, Seungmin, Hyunjin and Jeongin were playfully shoving each other around, as they cracked jokes and played pranks on each other while laughing. 

A smile spread on Chan's face, as he heard the tall alpha's soft giggles echo over to him, warming his heart.   
There had been a time, when Hyunjin hadn't made one single movement without checking first, whether he was allowed to or not, flinching whenever Chan would turn towards him.   
Seeing the boy so carefree now almost made Chan tear up, but he scolded himself inwardly to stop being sentimental, forcing his eyes to stay dry. 

“Just one more time!” 

Felix pleading voice caught Chan's attention, and he let his gaze break away from the triplet, shifting it over to the freckled alpha, who had been busy learning a new move Changbin had shown him.   
Again and again, Felix had begged the omega to demonstrate it one more time, and Changbin had complied without any complaint, rather happy about the alpha's focus being entirely on him. 

Chan chuckled lightly.   
Changbin had always loved attention, the more people, the better, probably because his parents had always ignored him, until they at some point left him behind completely. 

But especially with Felix, the omega had started to build up some kind of bond, both boys often being together, silently sitting beside each other or talking about random stuff.   
It made Chan hope, his old friend was about to find someone else he could trust in with all of his heart, as he did with Chan, Jisung and Hyunjin.   
Someone, he trusted not to leave him behind, no matter what!

Soft steps on grass told Chan of Minho's arrival.   
The alpha was always easy to identify, because he had the most spiking scent, a mix of the leaves of peppermint and the fresh scent of rain, along with something fruity Chan wasn't able to recognize. 

At the beginning, it had unsettled the blond a little, but with time, he had learned to like the smell.   
Minho was a very reliable person, once the alpha decided to trust someone.   
Chan had seen, how loyally the alpha always stood behind his own leader and he assumed, that Minho was to Woojin, what Changbin was to him.   
A long known friend that would always have his leader's back, regardless of the situation!

Smiling lightly, Chan turned towards the dark-haired alpha, who approached him hesitantly, seemingly indecisive. 

“Hey Minho, what's on your mind?”, the blond greeted the arrival, cutting right to the point to save him the small-talk. 

Said boy had a short expression of surprise ghosting over his face, before he shook his head lightly as to wake himself from his momentary motionlessness. 

“I wanted to ask you whether you knew, where Jisung is. I haven't seen him in a while now!”, he explained, voice sounding a little insecure, as if he wasn't entirely sure himself, why he was asking Chan this question. 

Chan once again let his eyes roam the clearing.   
He knew exactly, where Jisung was. 

The omega had asked him to cover for him only an hour earlier, sneaking away from the group right afterwards to head for his favorite spot on top of the apartment-tower. 

Other than Changbin, Jisung often needed space after his panic attacks, always using high places to clear his mind of thoughts he'd like to get rid of forever but unfortunately couldn't forget for they were branded into his conscience by people unable to respect others. 

Chan knew, his friend would come back down eventually when he was ready, but one look in Minho's genuinely concerned eyes told him, that he needed to tell the alpha at least something.   
So he went for the truth. 

“Promise me not to go after him for now?”, he asked quietly, the dark-haired boy beside him nodding after a second of reluctance.   
Chan took in a deep breath, inhaling the clear evening-air.   
“He's on the platform of the building.”, he informed the alpha, who instinctively looked up to the top store of the structure.   
Chan wasn't sure, whether he could see Jisung from here.   
He himself hadn't even tried to spot the younger to not give the omega's hiding place away. 

“Why?”, was everything Minho asked, when he set his cat-like gaze back on Chan. 

“He needs time alone to digest today's experiences!”, Chan answered honestly, his arms wrapping around his body in an attempt to keep himself warm in the face of the slowly dropping temperatures.   
A look of guilt flashed over Minho's features, and Chan felt the need to reassure the boy. 

“It's none of your fault.”, he comforted the alpha, intently staring at him, as if by sheer eye-contact alone he could make the other understand, that he wasn't responsible for this mess.   
Someone else had caused it long before Minho had even met Jisung. 

“There is a reason, why he has this fear and after being reminded of this reason, he always needs some time to think by himself!”, Chan concluded, the alpha beside him nodding in understanding. 

“He sure likes being high up, doesn't he?”, Minho chuckled slightly, changing the topic a little. 

Chan smiled, this time a dimple appearing within his cheek.   
So the alpha payed enough attention to Jisung to notice that detail about him! 

On second thought, Chan realized, that actually, it was hard to miss Jisung's adoration for heights.  
Nonetheless, he felt pride filling his chest.   
A few weeks ago, he probably would have been suspicious of Minho for asking about Jisung, but by now, he had settled with trusting the hot-headed alpha enough to believe, that he didn't mean any harm.   
Especially not to Jisung!

“He always loved being able to look down on the world!”, he agreed, a shiver rocking his body, as a cold gust of wind hit his form, playing with his already messy hair.   
“Seeing everything from above kind of gave him some sort of control and I guess, he still feels like that!” 

Humming, Minho looked towards the top of the apartment-tower once again.   
“Do you think, he will ever trust me again?”, he then questioned, voice unsure and quiet, the wind almost discarding it within the fresh air. 

A sad smile tucked on Chan's lips as he raised his head to be able to look at the still beautifully painted sky, the shrinking moon already shining down from it with a silver light. 

“He didn't see you!”, he stated lowly, elaborating a bit when Minho threw him a questioning glance.   
“The one who held him down. To him, it wasn't you!” 

Looking back at the alpha, Chan could see various shades of anger and disbelief dancing over the boy's features, turning his expression a little darker with every passing minute, as realization dawned on him.   
Chan didn't blame him though, for he could understand every single facette of emotion the other was sporting.   
He had went through them as well.

“Did they succeed?”, was everything Minho asked right after, and Chan thanked the heavens to be able to shake his head without having to lie. 

A soft breath escaped the alpha's throat at the blond's answer and his shoulders sagged in relief. 

“You saved him, didn't you?”, Minho more stated than questioned, his voice now calmer.   
“That's why he would leap at anyone whom he thinks could be a threat to you!” 

Chuckling at the alpha's words, Chan hums bitterly.   
“Yeah, I earned his trust a second time with that action. But he would also sacrifice himself for Binnie or Hyunjin. That's just the way he is!”   
He threw Minho an amused look, forcing the dark thoughts out of his head for now.   
“I am pretty sure, there will be a time, when he will throw himself in front of danger for you, too!” 

Minho scoffed in reply.   
“Jisung is the type of person, who would throw himself in front of danger for fun!”, he responded dryly, his words making Chan laugh lightly. 

“Sadly true!”, he answered honestly.   
“But that doesn't change the fact, that he would give his life for his friends.”

A short yell from the entrance of the apartment-tower let both of the boys look up to where Woojin was standing within the door that led inside.   
Apparently, while Chan and Minho had been caught up within their conversation, everyone else had already gathered inside. 

“Are you guys done anytime now?”, the oldest shouted over to them, the wind softly ruffling the alpha's black bangs.   
“We wanna eat!” 

Snickering, Chan turned back to Minho.   
“Shall we? I am pretty sure, Sungie will join us as soon as he smells dinner! And I have to admit, I'm hungry as well!” 

The dark-haired boy flashed Chan a wide grin.   
“Sure, let's gain some energy for tomorrow!”, he exclaimed, waving in Woojin's direction.   
“We're on our way!”, he replied loudly for the oldest to hear before heading off towards the building, Chan right at his heels. 

The blond felt his own stomach growl at the thought of food, eager to get filled again, but at the same time, thrilling excitement danced through his body at the mention of their trip tomorrow. 

It had been a while, since Chan had been able to get away for a bit, and he was happy to have some kind of change of scenery once in a while.   
And since they'd be seven people, all strong and combat-savvy – what could possibly go wrong? 

Cringing at the thought, the blond shook his head to get rid of the sentence within his mind.   
Never ask for life to show you what kind of misery it is capable of, for it will be delighted to demonstrate you it's abilities right on the spot. 

Hopefully, so Chan thought, nothing would go wrong!   
That being said he ascended the stairs behind Minho, entering the apartment-tower.  
_____

True to Chan's words, when the eight boys gathered around the re-lit fireplace, Jisung magically appeared again, joining them as if nothing had happened and he had never been away in the first place. 

Of course, the others had noticed his absence, but Chan was sure, no one would bring it up.   
Fear could do stuff to people, and the blond was sure, that everyone within the main hall had felt the sickening emotion at least once within their lives, therefore knowing of that fact. 

Jisung was back to his old self, immediately starting a conversation with Changbin, who Chan was pretty sure, was aware of where the younger omega had been for the past hour.

Knowing, that Jisung would come to him, if he needed comfort or an ear to listen to him, Chan let them be and carefully stepped up to the place, Woojin and Minho had sat themselves down within the circle. 

“May I sit with you guys?”, he asked politely, not wanting to intrude on their togetherness without their permission.   
Both boys raised their heads, but Minho was the first one to answer. 

“Jesus, Chan, stop being to formal, Woo's not that old yet!”, he replied dryly, his words earning him a slap on the back of his head from his friend, who sent Chan an apologetic glance. 

“Just sit down and ignore him!”, Woojin sighed, eliciting a smile from Chan.   
He liked seeing the two friends interact with their close intimacy. It made him feel more comfortable as well.

“He's not wrong, though!”, The oldest added, as Chan lowered himself down beside them, sighing contently, as the warmth of the slowly rising flames began to reach him.   
“You don't have to be so cautious around us. We're not gonna bite you, even of you forget the honorifics for once.”   
His voice got more quiet, as he added: “I mean, I'm not even a year older than you.” 

His apparent insecurity about the matter made Chan chuckle. Somehow, it differed from the demanding person the oldest had been on that one night, when he had caught Chan almost breaking down.

The memory left a bitter aftertaste, but Chan forcefully pushed it off his conscience and locked it away.   
He was more relaxed than he had been for a while now, and he refused to let this spoil his evening. 

“Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!”, he assured honestly to respond to Woojin's previous statement.   
“I was just raised this way and it's hard sometimes to let go of old habits!” 

Minho nodded in understanding.   
“Yeah, tell me about it!”, he muttered, staring into the flickering fire, before he pulled the stick with meat back he was holding and which Chan noticed only now.   
The alpha's movement seemed to set something off within Woojin as well, because the oldest slapped his hand against his own forehead with such a loud noise, that Chan couldn't help but wince slightly. 

“God dammit, Chan, you gotta say something, I almost forgot you!”, the older exclaimed before reaching behind himself to grab another stick and the basket with the meat to hand both things over to Chan, who flashed him an amused grin. 

“I might have forgotten about myself as well!”, he answered sheepishly, propping the food onto the stick to hold over the fire.   
“So you're not the only one, don't worry!” 

Incredulously, Minho shook his head.   
“Weren't you, like, really hungry only a minute ago?”, he reminded the blond before contently biting down on his warmed up piece of meat, Chan only shrugging in return. 

“Yeah but my primal urge was to warm up again!”, he admitted, turning the stick within his hands carefully.   
“So hunger only came back to me, right when Woojin-hyung realized it, too!”

Minho frowned.   
“It wasn't even that cold outside!”, he protested between bites.   
“Shouldn't your body temperature be high enough to cover that much?”

A wave of shock washed through Chan at the words and he scrambled for a suitable answer.   
When he couldn't really find one, he chose to settle for the truth. Or at least a part of it.

“I always got cold easily for some reason!”

Leaning back slightly, Woojin sighed, seemingly unbothered by that fact.   
“Well, doesn't really matter anymore, now that all of our desires are sated!”, he concluded, Minho and Chan simultaneously humming in affirmation, as they ate their dinner in silence. 

After filling his stomach, Chan felt the heaviness of sleep slowly overcoming him.   
The comfortable warmth of the room and the exhaustion within his bones from their long day were demanding their payment and with every minute passing, he felt his eyelids get heavier. 

“Chan, are you alright?” 

Woojin's voice brought the leader back once more, forcing him to open his eyes fully again. 

“Yeah, yeah, m'fine!”, he mumbled, his relaxed lips slightly slurring his words already.   
“Just a little tired, s'all!” 

His ears picked up on a chuckle, and when he turned to his side, he stared right at Woojin's warm smile.   
Warm and gentle. Too kind for a person like Chan, who didn't deserve any of this.   
He had to turn his face away in the fear of Woojin picking up on his discomfort.

“Chan, no offence, but I really think, you should go to sleep!”, the oldest suggested quietly, his tone soft and soothing like a lullaby to the blond, who stifled a yawn behind his hand. 

He really would have liked to get some rest, since he hadn't slept that well the last few days despite his newly found relaxation, but Chan knew of his responsibilities.   
He was the leader and the oldest of his pack and therefore, he had to make sure, his friends were well rested for tomorrow's trip. 

“Thanks but I can help with the watches!”, he declined, his hand rubbing over his face as if he could wipe off his fatigue that easily, just with the brush of his fingers.   
Oh, if only it would work like that, Chan would have a lot less problems within his life! 

But Woojin shook his head. 

“Sorry, Chan, I really respect you and your abilities, but you are no use during a watch, if half of your brain is already on it's way to dreamland!”, he explained seriously, robbing Chan of the right to snap at the alpha, because the oldest was completely right, and the tired blond was aware of that. 

“Let me go take a bath within the river!”, he suggested nonetheless.   
“It'll wake me up and I need it anyways!” 

Minho snorted.   
“The fuck are you so eager for?”, he asked, words directed at Chan, who was busy trying to keep his eyes open.   
“If Woo told me, that he doesn't need me for the watches, I'd tell him to sent the others my regards and go to sleep!” 

Heaving a breathy laugh at the alpha's bluntness, Chan shrugged. 

“Well, I guess, that's the point!”, he responded to Minho's question.   
“It's not like I'm not needed, but more that I'm just not helpful in my current state! There's a difference!” 

He sighed, turning to Woojin again, focusing his gaze on the older alpha intently, now a little more awake, since he had to concentrate because of their conversation.   
“Let me help! I am physically more resilient and able to cope with a bigger workload, than others so it won't harm me to take over one watch!” 

Letting out a deep breath, the oldest finally nodded.   
“Alright, you can take over the first watch!”, he gave in, ruffling his own hair.   
“Seungmin will be with you, since he wasn't on guard yesterday and doesn't have to take the trip tomorrow!” 

Turning to his younger brother, the alpha raised his voice a little.   
“Minnie, is first watch with Chan okay with you?”, he asked, more rhetorically than anything else. 

The healer, who had been busy talking with Jeongin, gave him a thumbs up as sign of his approval, Woojin smiling at the gesture.   
Chan could see the corners of his mouth lift up from the side. 

Raising his hand, Jeongin chimed into their exchange.   
“I can take the last two watches! That way, you only have to assign one other each and I can sleep, when you guys are gone!”, he offered, chin propped up on his other palm. 

Thoughtfully, Woojin frowned and Chan could practically watch him contemplating the matter, before the oldest nodded.   
“Okay, that's not too bad of an idea, but if you get too tired, you wake me up, understood!” 

The younger alpha only waved him off with a declining gesture.   
“Sure, hyung!”, he grinned before turning back to Seungmin, the two boys continuing their talk. 

“Brat!”, Chan could hear Woojin mutter beneath his breath, before the older got back to the point again. 

“So, that means, Chan and Seungmin will take the first shift, while Jeongin will take over one part of the two later ones.”   
He furrowed his brows a little, when he added.   
“That leaves two open spots, one during the second watch and one during the third!”

Silence settled around Chan and the two alphas beside him, as they realized, what that meant. 

If Jeongin would be one of the guard for two watches, that meant, two members of the blond's pack had to take over the other part, or else, their balance of one member from each of their groups wouldn't be fulfilled.   
And not going for that arrangement would mean, that Chan had to trust them. Fully, without any compromises! 

Sighing, Chan turned towards his friends, that had all finished their food, now conversing among each other silently. 

He didn't like asking them to help with the watches, but on the other hand, he couldn't bring himself to just offer himself to the other pack like that.   
Not only would he have to trust them but he would also somehow admit that they were stronger than him and his friends, and although Chan knew, that Woojin would never think about this matter that way, his pride made itself a blockade between his mouth and the words that he probably should say. 

Instead, he called out for Changbin, who looked up upon hearing his name being said, immediately recognizing and understanding the look within Chan's eyes and scrambling to his feet to walk over to his leader. 

His lack of hesitation made the blond smile lightly.   
He had always been able to count on his friend, and although Changbin was sometimes childish and whiny, he was always right beside Chan, when the leader needed him!

“What's the problem?”, Changbin asked, as soon as he reached his friend and the other two alphas, crouching down beside them. 

Behind himself, Chan could hear Woojin open his mouth, ready to tell him something, probably assure him, that Minho or someone else could take over the remaining watches, but the blond didn't let the oldest speak, cutting him off with his own words. 

“We still need guards for the second and the third watch!”, he explained, his eyes probably holding the apology he wanted to say out loud to Changbin for forcing his friend to help out despite everyone's exhaustion.   
“Are any of you guys still energetic enough to take part in them?” 

The short omega thoughtfully put his finger on his chin.   
“I could do the second one, and I'm sure, Hyunjin can help with the third!”, he mumbled, then lowering his voice a bit as he added: “But I would let Sungie sleep for tonight! He had quite a rough day and as far as I know him, he will need his energy tomorrow!” 

Humming along to Changbin's suggestion, Chan gratefully ruffled his friend's dark hair.   
“Thanks, Binnie!”, he smiled, the omega playfully batting his hand away. 

“Will you tell Hyunjin?”, Chan asked the buff boy, as Changbin stood up again to return to his spot, the omega only nodding in reply before flashing Chan one last grin and heading back to the tall alpha he had been sitting beside.

Satisfied, Chan turned back to Minho and Woojin, the latter throwing him a questioning look. 

“Chan, are you sure, you don't wanna let them sleep tonight?”, the oldest asked, his tone cautious, as if he was expecting a blunt reply.   
The blond felt indeed a little irritated because of the other leader's question, but he swallowed his snappy remark back down, knowing, that Woojin wasn't intending to insult him.

“I think we should split the work evenly, and that means, my pack takes over three parts of the watches!”, he simply answered, his voice calm but he was pretty sure, both alphas beside him could see the unspoken warning within his eyes.   
Apparently, he was right, because no further objections followed, Woojin only nodding to show his approval.

Leaning back a little, Chan was about to relax, when suddenly, his nose picked up on a change of scent. 

In a very negative way. 

And the blond realized, what kind of mistake he had made during his decision for tonight's guards.   
How could he have missed that?   
Chan would have liked to smack himself, but that wouldn't help his current situation either, so he chose not to.

Since he couldn't change his previous decision now, however, he found himself face to face with a fuming Jisung, who had come over to him from his original place across the campfire, now standing right in front of him, blocking the warmth of the flames, that had engulfed Chan only a second ago. 

The omega's eyes were practically shooting daggers. 

“Why didn't you ask me to take over a watch?”, he exclaimed, hurt clearly evident within his tone.   
Inwardly, Chan sighed. 

Jisung was always a little more sensitive after his panic attacks, but in a different way, than Changbin was.   
While the short boy wanted closure and protection, the younger omega needed space and the assurance, that he was strong, capable and needed, the one in control. 

On a personal level, Chan could understand him, since he felt like that as well, but as the leader of their pack, he couldn't give in to Jisung's outbursts.   
He knew, the omega would maybe quiet down faster, if Chan would tell him, that Changbin and Hyunjin had simply offered first, but he despised lying to his friends and the other way around - them being dishonest towards him - as well, so he went for the truth.

“Because I think you should rest tonight to be fully charged for tomorrow!”, he answered steadily, not even batting an eyelash, as Jisung pulled his lips back into a bitter grimace, growling at him from the depth of his chest.   
He was used to it after five years of friendship.

“Do you think I'm too weak to do it?”, Jisung snarled aggressively, his fists clenched at his sides.   
From beside him, Chan could feel the alerted glances of Woojin and Minho, and he assumed, everyone else was watching as well, but he pushed that thought away, into the back of his head. 

He really had other priorities at the moment.

“No Jisung, I think you had a rougher day than Changbin and Hyunjin, that's why I excluded you from tonight's watches!”, he explained calmly, keeping eye-contact with the young omega the whole time.

Jisung's brown orbs looked darker within the dimly lit hall, but the blond could see the vulnerable desperation within them nonetheless, something he could already recognize from the boy's past outbreaks.   
The omega wasn't looking for a fight. Just for safety, and unfortunately, he had learned to get that by erasing every ounce of possibly weak behavior from his being. 

“I'm just as capable as you guys!”, Jisung snapped, his brows pulled together in a dangerous looking frown.   
“You don't have to baby me, just because I am an omega! My second gender has nothing to do with my strength!”

Now it was on Chan to furrow his brows lightly.   
This appeared to be more serious than he had thought at first!   
If Jisung brought up the omega-card, today's panic attack really must have shook him. Normally, the brown-haired boy calmed down much quicker!

“Jisung, this is not about your second gender! Remember, Changbin is an omega, too!”, he reminded his younger friend, but Jisung only snorted bitterly.

“Yeah, but he's still stronger than me, isn't he?”, he more stated than asked, his voice getting thinner to the end of the sentence.   
“You think so, too, hyung, right?” 

His last words, were only a whisper, his eyes looking insecure and hurt, staring right into Chan's own.   
And this time, he crumbled a little. 

The omega's pain seemed to rage within his own heart as well, clenching his chest together so tightly, it felt hard to breathe.   
Deciding for Jisung's mental stability to be more important than his physical one, Chan took in a deep breath, his lungs quivering a little, before he let his scent seep out to calm his friend. 

“Sungie, if you want to stay up with me and Seungmin for the first watch, then I won't stop you!”, he answered honestly.   
“If you decide to stay awake the whole night long, I'm not gonna do anything, except tell you, that I don't think you should do that.”   
He sighed.   
“But tonight, I won't force you to help guarding the building, because I think you should get some rest. Tomorrows gonna be an adventure for all of us and I need you, as well as everyone, within your right mind. So please consider the outcome of your decisions before you act!” 

All the fight seemed to bleed out of Jisung, as the omega's shoulders slumped dejectedly. 

“Sorry!”, he murmured quietly, his head lowered a bit and his eyes downcast, avoiding Chan's gaze.   
“I didn't mean to make a fuss. You're right, I am pretty exhausted.” 

His rapid change of attitude seemed to catch Woojin and Minho off-guard, both alphas exchanging confused looks, as Chan could observe from the corner of his eyes.   
He pulled his lips into a soft smile. 

“It's okay, Sungie!”, he assured the omega.   
“If you want, you can come with me for a little while during the first watch. If you don't, then I'm sure, Changbin and Hyunjin would be happy, if they can cuddle with you while I'm not there, alright?”

Relaxing a little, Jisung nodded.   
“I wanna come with you for a bit!”, he muttered, his voice so low, that Chan could barely make out his words.   
“Just to talk a little.”

Relieved, that the omega's rage was over, Chan hummed in agreement.   
“Sure, let's head up there right now. It's almost time anyways!” 

He assumed, that it was the best for now to get Jisung out of this room and up to the place where he felt the safest.   
On top of the world!

Nodding, Jisung held his hand out to help his leader up, the blond grabbing it willingly, letting himself being pulled into a standing position.   
Even after that was accomplished, the omega didn't let go, though, and Chan smiled unconsciously, wrapping his own fingers even tighter around Jisung's warm palm.   
It wasn't a given, that Jisung was open to skinship after one of his attacks.

“I'm gonna head up first!”, he announced unnecessarily, since he was pretty sure, everyone within the room had listened to his and Jisung's conversation.   
His gaze darted to Woojin, whose usually narrowed eyes were slightly widened, staring at him in obvious confusion. 

Chan had to admit, that it made the alpha look younger and somewhat softer in a weirdly adorable way.   
Sending the other leader an apologetic smile, Chan waved them one last time before gently pulling Jisung towards the staircase that led upwards. 

“I'm gonna join you in a bit!”, Seungmin yelled after them, Chan only gesturing in reply to show the healer, he had heard him.   
Then, he and Jisung disappeared through the back-exit, diving into the darkness of the hallway. 

Immediately, way cooler air engulfed them, forming a strong contrast to the cozy warmth the main room had provided and Chan felt a shiver going down his own spine.   
A part of him wanted to head back and get himself another cloth to wear above his sweater, but one look back at Jisung's still upset expression prevented him from changing their course again.   
Instead, he upped his pace a little, trusting into the way up the stairs to warm him up. 

By now, he had already gotten used to the many steps they had to climb up to reach the top store, but nonetheless, his breath was slightly uneven, when he and the omega behind him finally reached the barrier that closed off the opening leading onto the roof. 

It was a bit of a hassle to push the wooden plank to the side with only one hand, since Jisung made no attempt in letting go of Chan's arm anytime soon, but eventually, he managed and they were able to step onto the squared platform of the building. 

Cold wind whipped into their faces and immediately, the leader felt his newly gained warmth from their walk up here getting drained by the chilly air again, his skin forming goosebumps.   
At least, the freezing night brushed off his fatigue, so Chan chose to try and ignore it for now, not wanting to let it influence his mood for tonight's watch. 

A heaved sigh let him turn towards Jisung, who had closed his eyes, seemingly relaxing as the breeze played with his brown hair, his fingers still tightly entangled with Chan's.

“Better?”, the blond asked, and when the omega in front of him looked at him again, for the first time tonight, Chan was able to see Jisung's real feelings. 

Big orbs were swimming in oceans of fear and insecurity, making the leader's heart ache for his younger friend. 

“Why can't I control it, hyung?”, Jisung asked quietly, his voice breaking slightly at the end.   
“Why can I still not control it? It's been a whole year!” 

“Color?”, Chan asked shortly to make sure, he hadn't read Jisung's openness to skinship wrongly.   
Immediately, Jisung muttered a small 'Green!' under his breath, only barely audible, except for Chan.

Wordlessly, he pulled the upset omega closer, embracing him tightly. 

“Wound's need time to heal, especially, if they are as deep as yours!”, he mumbled comfortingly while rubbing soothing circles into the other's back.   
“Don't expect yourself to be able to control something irrational!”

Jisung let out a desperate whimper, hitting Chan's chest harder than for the punch to be considered light, but the blond didn't budge, knowing, how frustrated the omega was.

“But I knew it!”, Jisung exclaimed, his voice sounding disbelieving and confused.   
“I knew what was gonna happen! I knew, he would hold me down! I even knew, I was gonna panic!” 

A sob escaped the boy's throat, stabbing Chan's heart like a knife, almost making him convulse in pain.   
He hated it, when Jiusng cried, for it was much rarer that Changbin's outbreaks and therefore much deeper in meaning. 

“I knew, the memories would come and I fought against them!”, the omega continued, getting louder with every word.   
“I tried...I tried to fight it! To tell myself, that I was...that it was just Minho! Not that bastard but someone I could trust!” 

During his narration, Chan felt Jisung's grip on his sweater get tighter and tighter, the younger practically clawing into the cloth by now. 

“I knew, he wouldn't hurt me! I knew it!” 

Jisung's voice equaled a desperate howl by now, his words getting carried towards the dark night-sky by the faintly blowing wind, only for Chan and the stars above them to listen to. 

“Hyung, tell me, why does it still happen!”, Jisung asked again, his tone pleading, as if Chan was able to give him an answer to his questions but unfortunately, the blond couldn't help his friend.   
He could only be there for him and hold him tight enough that hopefully, the omega's pieces would morph together again.   
Although Chan knew, there would always be cracks visible on Jisung's being as a person. 

Nothing breaks and then returns to their previous state without any kind of reminder, that there was a time, when it consisted of multiple pieces instead of one whole.

“We can't control our fear, Sungie!”, he mumbled quietly.   
“Not even if we are perfectly aware of whatever scares us. Fear is an emotion driven by your heart, not your mind, so knowing won't solve your problem!” 

He inhaled deeply before adding: “I can't control mine either!”

Sniffling, Jisung loosened his grip on Chan a little to be able to look the older in the face.   
It made the blond realize, that the omega's eyes were completely dry, not one tear having escaped them.   
Of course!   
Jisung barely ever cried during his outbursts.   
Even if he screamed and tossed, even if he broke down, he almost never cried over his trauma. 

Chan assumed, it was because the omega had already wasted too many tears on the topic to be able to afford any more.

“But what do you do then?”, Jisung asked, voice slightly hoarse from his previous shouting.   
“How do you cope with situation's whenever you have to face your fear?”

A humorless chuckle escaped Chan's lips, that were chapped from the cold air.   
“I don't really cope!”, he admitted, shuddering at some of his memories.   
“Last thing I hope is that I won't hurt anyone, then I'm gone!” 

His words silenced Jisung for a few minutes, both boys only wordlessly staring up towards the almost full moon.   
Then, Jisung spoke up again. 

“Channie-Hyung, I don't want this anymore!”, he muttered lowly, his big eyes fixating Chan again.   
“I want to go against it! I want to fight it!” 

A smile pulled up the corner's of Chan's mouth, and he hummed lightly.   
“I suggest, you start working on it then!”, he replied, patting Jisung on the back encouragingly.   
“If you ever need someone to practice with, I am sure every single one of our group is willing to help you!” 

Shyly, Jisung lowered his head.   
“Even Minho?”, the omega asked, and Chan couldn't suppress a grin. He knew, Jisung was especially obsessed with the snappy alpha, probably because the two of them butted heads in so many areas, although they were pretty similar. 

“I'm sure, Minho will help you as well, if you ask him!”, he assured in a warm tone, that seemed to calm the omega within his arms slightly, as the boy's shoulder relaxed a little at his words.

The cry of an owl, or something along the lines, made both of them flinch, before Jisung broke out into an amused giggle, shaking a little in Chan's arms. 

“I think we could both work on our jumpiness, but for tonight, I guess I'm just gonna go to sleep and leave you to your watch!”, he teased, now looking a lot more at ease than he had when they had gotten here.   
Slowly pulling his arms back to release the younger, Chan took one step back. 

“Sounds like a plan. I'm sure, Binnie is already missing you!”, he replied softly, Jisung only nodding.   
Inhaling deeply one last time, the omega carded his hand through his bangs. 

“Thanks, Hyung!”, he then murmured, his tone more serious than before.   
“I owe you a lot!”

Shaking his head, Chan raised his gaze to the stars above them.   
“You don't owe me anything!”, he objected calmly.   
“Family will always stand behind you, no matter what!” 

For a few minutes, both boys just stood there, at the top of the apartment-tower, listening to the sounds of the night while inhaling the cold wind, that played with their hair and carried the scent of fall, fresh and rainy.   
To Chan, it smelled a little like a mix of Jisung and Minho and he couldn't help but smile. 

Maybe, he should stop being so on guard among the other pack, too.   
Maybe he should start to accept, that they were trying to be part of his family as well.

As if on cue, faint steps reached his ears, sounding from the entrance of the platform, making Chan turn around, and only seconds later, Seungmin appeared within the opening, a huge bundle within his arms and panting from his way up the stairs. 

“Sorry to interrupt your alone-time, but we gotta start watching!”, he stated bluntly, like always, Chan only waving his not so earnest apology off.

“Are those blankets?”, he asked instead, a hopeful tone to his voice.   
Ever since he had released Jisung from his embrace, he had felt the chilly wind twice as strong, making him shiver again.   
Normally, he hadn't been such a wimp when it came to coldness, but somehow, the nights spent wrapped in sheets next to a fire had rendered him effeminate.

“They sure are!”, Seungmin replied, a grin spreading on his face.   
“Or did you want to freeze your ass off tonight? Tell me beforehand, because if yes, then I'm gonna keep both of them to keep myself warm! But just for your information: I ain't restoring any butt-cheeks!”

Laughter bubbled up from Chan's chest and he couldn't even bring himself to scold the healer for his choice of words.   
Jisung beside him seemed to be similarly delighted about Seungmin's humor, since the younger omega was snickering as well. 

“You, my friend, are awesome!”, he commented after having caught himself again, Chan feeling the urge to laugh fade away again as well, only leaving behind a sated feeling of warmth and giddiness. 

Seungmin flashed them another toothy grin. 

“I know!”, he answered confidently, making Chan snort again. 

“Weeell, I guess I'm just gonna leave you guys to it, then!”, Jisung exclaimed, arms stretching above his head as he yawned without shame.   
“See you tomorrow!” 

Ruffling his hair one last time, Chan sent the omega off, throwing a soft “Good night!” after the boy, who's replying hum faded away within the distance, as well as his steps as he descended the staircase back down to the main hall. 

“Is he okay again?” Seungmin's voice sounded a lot more serious, now that Jisung was gone. 

Nodding, Chan reached out for one of the blankets within the healer's arms, the boy wordlessly handing him one.   
It was unexpectedly heavy to the leader's surprise.

“Yeah, he was a little upset because of today's panic attack, but it's okay now!”, he answered, throwing the scratchy brown thing around his shoulders, the wool immediately blocking the cold air from reaching his body and he sighed in relief. 

Seungmin followed his example before stepping up to one side of the platform, Chan staying at the opposite one. Both boys latched their eyes on the ground, silently searching the clearing for possible intruders.   
The activity had already become normal to Chan over the past weeks and he had gotten used to the regular watch-times as well, not even noticing the minimal lack of sleep anymore.   
Before, he often had stayed awake for whole nights to enable his exhausted dongsaengs to get enough rest, so this, a few hours each night, was absolutely bearable.

“He got raped, didn't he?” 

Seungmin's words cut sharp through the darkness, letting Chan choke on the cold air.   
Momentarily, he wasn't able to answer, needing time to fight the bile back down, that had risen to his throat at the images he had gotten due to the younger's blunt statement. When he was sure, he would keep his dinner in his stomach, Chan answered.

“Not fully but that- ...monster... surely took away his innocence and scarred him for his life!” 

The explanation tasted bitter on his own tongue and Chan hated it.   
He hated so much, that Jisung had demons like memories of that particular night to fight with, hated, how he couldn't help his friend with his panic attacks, because in that state, Jisung was unable to accept any kind of touch. 

And more than anything, he hated the guy, who had done it to Jisung.   
He despised that alpha with his whole being, even though said abomination would never hurt his friend again.   
Wasn't able to.   
But Chan knew, that he didn't have to be, in order to haunt Jisung for the rest of the boy's life.

“Chan, no offense, but you are kind of scaring me at the moment!”, Seungmin cut in, his careful voice dragging Chan out of his imprisoning thoughts. 

Only now, the blond realized, that he had been staring at nothing, teeth bared and eyes narrowed.   
Immediately, he cleared his throat, brows shooting up. 

“I am so sorry, Minnie!”, he apologized to the younger, turning around shortly to be able to look the omega in the face.   
“It just brought back some memories, is all! Sorry for loosing it!”

Seungmin only waved him off reassuringly.   
“Don't worry, it's not like you attacked me or anything!”, he replied, focusing back on his duty as a guard.   
The silence, however, lasted only for a few seconds, before the healer spoke up again. 

“When did it happen?”

Calming his own thoughts and emotions, Chan took deep breaths. 

“About a year ago!”, he answered honestly. 

Ever since Seungmin had found out about one of his secrets, the leader had been more trusting into the healer, talking more about himself, than he would dare to do with others.  
Of course, he knew, the omega would tell on him, as soon as he would impose a threat to Woojin's pack, but Chan also had no intention of ever letting that happen. 

Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he had long grown fond of the group, that had saved his life and given his friends a place to stay at.   
He wouldn't endanger that for anything in the world!

“So it wasn't the reason for your injury!” 

The words were muttered so quietly under the healer's breath, that Chan almost missed them.   
An icy claw wrapped around his insides and twisted them, making the blond squirm uncomfortably. 

Opening and closing his mouth a few times, the leader searched for words, only to find none.   
A part of him wanted to just tell Seungmin, tell him the whole story, but he held himself back. 

This was not the omega's burden to carry but solely his own! 

So he just stayed quiet, leaving Seungmin in the delusion, that he hadn't heard the healer's silent words and carryied out his duty as a guard to protect the group he counted himself a part of by now. 

At some point, so Chan knew, he had to come clean to them, had to explain everything, and face their wrath, their hate, but before he did that, he had to make sure, Jisung, Changbin and Hyunjin had their respective places within Woojin's pack. 

This was the only way how he could assure their safety, even when he had to leave!  
That was his responsibility as their leader!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, that was that...  
> I know, this one was pretty angsty, but i promise, the next ones will be lighter again. They will alos be a Little funnier with a lot of Scenes i loved writing because i had so much fun during it!:)  
> I really hope, you guys will have fun reading them too!
> 
> By the way: For anyone who doesn't know yet and is interested: the Scene between Woojin and chan, that i mentioned in this chapter, is posted in the second part of this series (Straykids: Behind the Scenes). It's not relevant for the plot of this book though, so you dont have to read it to understand. ist just to deepen their relationships a Little more.
> 
> see you guys on sunday for the next update on this book!:)  
> Stay save, everyone!
> 
> Just FYI: every sort of comment makes my day, so if you feel like it, feel free to leave your opinion about this chapter and everything! <3


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback-time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: i apologize!  
> This is not the real chapter i meant to post today but only a flashback i deemed important enough to add it here.  
> It's the only Thing my Computer allows me to post at the Moment for some reason because it keeps breaking down as soon as i try anything else, so im gonna have to wait until later to try it again.  
> As soon as it works, i will post all the chapters i promised!

(two years ago)

__

“And number five!”

__

With a loud rumble, Chan let the fifth load of collected timber drop to the ground, right beside the fireplace in the middle of the encampment.  
Him and an alpha named Sungjin had been on 'firewood-duty', how Jisung liked to call the task of collecting enough branchwood for their nightly fire, and now, after two hours of running through the forest, their arms filled with heavy branches, they had finally finished.

__

It was about time, too, because Chan's arms were about to fall off!

__

“Man, hopefully, Keir and Zillah don't make us help with the evening-hunt today!”

__

Sungjin, a rather bulky alpha around Chan's age, that he had already met the year prior, grimaced, as he carefully let his left shoulder rotate a little.  
Snorting, Chan threw him an amused look.

__

“But your legs should still be fine, right?”, he asked teasingly.  
“It's not like your gonna need your arms all too much during a hunt!”

__

“Exhaustion is a full-body-thing!”, Sungjin simply replied with a shrug.

__

Massaging his own arm softly to get the sore muscles within to loosen up, Chan let his gaze wander over the clearing the encampment was build on.  
He could spot Changbin and Hyunjin in the distance, who were busy with fixing the tent, that had fallen victim to yesterday's nightly breeze of wind. 

__

A little further away from his own packmates, San and Wooyoung were seated on the ground while preparing the needed weapons for later and on the other side of the clearing, a short omega, called Lia, was sorting some roots and herbs she probably had collected earlier in the day. 

__

All in all, a feeling of peace was radiating off the whole encampment, and Chan felt himself breathe a sigh, his nose inhaling the mixed smells, that lingered here between the set up tents of Keir's and Zillah's pack.

__

Him and his friend's had come here for the first time one year ago, asking for shelter during the colder seasons in exchange for their help with daily duties.  
They had gotten welcomed warmly and when they left after the end of winter, Chan had promised everyone, that they would return. 

__

And they did.

__

Only two days prior, Chan and his small pack had reached Keir's pack's territory once again during their travel.  
And this time too, Zillah had greeted him with a warm smile and friendly eyes.  
Keir hadn't smiled one bit, but that was to be expected. The man never really seemed to break into a grin and Chan had learned, that the alpha had a different way of showing his approval.  
Through tiny nods and hums for example. 

__

“Chan!”

__

The shout of his name ripped Chan out of his thoughts and let him look up. 

__

From the biggest tent of the clearing, Zillah had emerged.  
Her brows were furrowed slightly, but her concentrated gaze told Chan, that her expression had nothing to do with him. 

__

Quickly waving Sungjin goodbye, Chan jogged over the clearing towards the woman.  
Her dark hair was braided into a long plait as always, except for the few stubborn strands she had tugged behind her ear for good measure.  
Despite her outer appearance not having changed much ever since their first meeting, Chan still thought, that Zillah looked entirely different from back in the city. 

__

Back in Seoul, where he had gotten to know her, she had been small and fragile.  
Not in the way she looked, no, Zillah was rather tall despite being female – but in the way she had acted. 

__

Nervous glances thrown around every few seconds and lips tugged into a thin line of fear and bitterness. 

__

Even though she was much older than Chan, the blond had always felt like he had to protect her somehow.  
As if she would crumble otherwise.  
He had never understood the hatred others had shown her, just because her lack of scent.  
If anything, it had fascinated him, but no one else seemed to understand that.  
Nonetheless, he had found a little bit of comfort in her presence, knowing, that he wasn't entirely alone in this world. 

__

Despite them getting along just fine, their ways had parted again, until Chan had recognized Zillah again last year, when they had first met Keir's pack.  
And he had been unbelievably happy to find out, that Zillah had finally found someone to accept her fully.  
Even without scent!

__

Now still, a certain sense of familiarity crept over Chan, as he cocked his head to the side in question of what Zillah needed him for.  
She had been one of the first people he had really been able to talk to when he had still been younger and he would never forget the way her presence had soothed him back in the city.  
Her appearance was somewhat linked with a certain amount of relaxation.

__

“Do you happen to know, where Keir is?”, Ziallah asked with her gaze still clouded by other thoughts.  
Her skin had gotten a few wrinkles over the past year, how Chan noticed.  
She still looked young but at the same time, the lines around her eyes showed her experience.

__

Then he focused on her question, but no memory of the alpha's whereabouts came to his mind.  
Frowning, he shook his head.

__

“Sorry, but I just came back myself from my duty with Sungjin!”, he explained in apology.  
“I haven't seen him ever since returning to the camp!”

__

Letting out a sigh, Zillah blinked a few times, until her fogged gaze cleared up a bit.  
Now her expression was warmer, her brown eyes no longer filled with the haunted look she had worn back in the city but with a lively sparkle.

__

“Could you maybe go find him and tell him that I need him for the planning of tonight's hunt!”, Zillah asked with a sheepish smile directed at Chan, who couldn't resist the urge to smile back.  
“It's pretty urgent, since the days are so short already!”

__

Nodding, Chan brought his hand up for a playful salute, that Jimin, a female alpha of Keir's pack, had taught him the day before.

__

“Sure, I'll get right to it, ma'am!”, he replied with a smirk. 

__

Zillah only rolled her eyes in exasperation.  
She had never been fond of the way Keir demanded everyone to call them and if Chan was honest, he had needed his own sweet time for getting used to the different use of honorifics, but eventually, he had grown accustomed to calling Keir 'Sir'.

__

Calling Zillah 'Ma'am' wasn't exactly a requirement, but Chan had started doing it for the sole purpose of annoying her, since he knew, that the woman wasn't very fond of the honorifics.  
Especially not, since they weren't originally Korean, other than her.

__

Now, Zillah only waved him off with a flick of her wrist.

__

“Shut up, you idiot, and get moving! Or I will personally make sure, you are in charge of the hunt for tonight. No mercy on you for collecting timber!”

__

Grinning, Chan started backing away. 

__

“Oh no, what cruelty!”, he joked, despite knowing, that the hunt tonight would indeed be hard on him after today's labors.  
“I guess I better find him fast then!”

__

“Shoo!”, Zillah hissed with a smirk and Chan finally scrambled away with a slight laugh.

__

Out of Zillah's reach, he pulled himself together and focused on his task.  
He had only just come back to the camp, but Changbin and Hyunjin had been here longer already.

__

Determined, Chan crossed the clearing.  
The closer he got to his two friends, the louder their voices got, enabling him to listen in on their conversation.

__

“This stick belongs over there!”

__

Changbin was holding up a rather long piece of wood, from which Chan wasn't sure, whether it was even part of the crumpled tent they were working on.  
Hyunjin seemed to agree with him, because the tall alpha shook his head at Changbin's statement.

__

“No way, you stole that from San and Wooyoung! That's part of a spear!”

__

Wooyoung looked up from his spot a few meters away from Chan's friends and examined the stick in Changbin's hands.  
“Oh, so THAT'S where that thing went!”, he exclaimed in realization.  
“I already thought I lost it! Stop stealing the weapons in order to hide, that you lost your own pieces of wood, Changbin!” 

__

Clear offense spread on Changbin's face as he turned towards his friend.

__

“Did not!”, he scoffed while pointing his stick at Wooyoung.  
“This is mine!”

__

“Did too!”, Wooyoung huffed back and picked up a small stone to throw it at Changbin, who let out a dramatic whine, when the tiny thing hit his arm.

__

San, who had been sitting beside Wooyoung quietly while sharpening a knife, looked up to throw Chan a small smile, as the blond got closer.

__

“Hello, Chan-hyung!”, he greeted, ignoring the chaos that was evolving right next to him with Changbin and Wooyoung having started a small war.  
Hyunjin had long abandoned his omegian friend and begun to finish the tent with the right piece of wood.

__

“Hey, San-ssi!”, Chan gave back before he heaved a small sigh at the sight of Changbin getting beaten with one of Wooyoung's shoes.

__

“Whatever you are here for, I suggest you don't put yourself through THAT right now!”, San grinned while pointing behind himself.  
“Is there something I can maybe help you with though?”

__

Deciding, that the other alpha was right, Chan ignored Changbin's wheezes for help and focused on his task.

__

“You didn't happen to know where Keir went?”, he asked, to which San furrowed his brows.

__

“I'm not entirely sure!”, the black-haired boy gave back.  
“I didn't pay too much attention, but maybe you can ask Lia!” 

__

He pointed at the omega, who was still seated on the other side of the clearing.

__

“She normally knows where everyone goes, since she pays a lot of attention to her surroundings!”

__

“Chan, help me! I'm dying!”, Changbin yelped out from under Wooyoung, who had managed to wrestle him to the ground.

__

“Sounds like a you-problem!”, Chan retorted dryly.  
Then he focused back on San.

__

“Thanks!”, Chan nodded at the alpha, who only sent him a small grin back.  
Waving his best friend one last time, who by now was releasing dramatic whines of defeat, Chan sent Hyunjin a quick smile as well before crossing the clearing once more to head towards Lia. 

__

He didn't know the omega that well, since she was a newer addition to the pack and hadn't been there the past year, but he didn't doubt that she would help him.  
Everyone of Keir's pack was friendly, as far as he had learned.

__

The omega seemed to sense him because she already looked up before he had even reached her.  
There was slight confusion visible on her features, but no shadow darkened her expression that would have warned Chan about her not being too fond of him.  
Thanks to that, he didn't hesitate to speak up once he had stepped up to her.

__

“Lia-ssi?”, he asked and when the girl nodded, he sent her a small smile.  
“San told me, you might now, where Keir went. She needs him and sent me to get him!”

__

A timid smile spreading on Lia's lips as well, the girl hummed in understanding.

__

“Last time a saw him, he went to the back of the camp shortly before you and Sungjin-oppa arrived!”, she answered, her voice just as soft and delicate as her.  
“I'm not sure, where he went to after that, though!”

__

Flashing her a reassuring smile one last time, Chan gave a nod.  
“That's all the information I need!”, he assured Lia shortly before turning to leave.  
“Thank you, Lia-ssi!”

__

The girl mumbled something back but was already focused on her work again, while Chan hurried to fasten his steps. 

__

When he had gotten back from his duty with Sungjin, he had still been warmed up from the labor of carrying home all the wood, but now, that he had been standing around for quite a while already, he couldn't help but notice the cold creeping under his sweater.  
There was a reason, why he had led his pack back here to spent the winter in the shelter of Keir's pack's warming tents and Chan was reminded of the upcoming season with every new shiver that rocked his body and forced his skin to form goosebumps.

__

When he rounded the last tent of their main encampment, he finally caught sight of Keir's broad back. 

__

The man's hair was different than that of other people Chan had come to know.  
It was reddish-blond, just like his beard and his eyes were a weird-looking blue that looked almost colorless. 

__

Hadn't Chan known the guy, he knew he probably would have been disturbed by the sight.  
Keir was no native korean man, that he knew, and he had always wondered, what made the guy's skin appear so pinkish-white.  
Chan himself looked different than others as well with his bright hair and pale skin, but nonetheless, Chan's eyes were dark.  
Even darker than the ones of San and Wooyoung and even Changbin.  
It was the small detail that allowed him to see himself as korean despite his weird appearance. 

__

But Keir was different on an entirely new level.  
Sometimes, Chan wondered, whether the man ever felt out of place.

__

“Sir!”

__

When Chan called out to Keir, the man turned around to reveal a smaller body behind him.

__

“Oh, hey Nesrin!”, Chan greeted the dainty girl, that grinned at him from behind Keir.  
What the two of them had been doing here, Chan had no idea, but it was not in his place to question it.  
Keir was the alpha after all and Nesrin was one of the few omega's that the man had taken in, together with Zillah.

__

“What is it, that you want, Chan!”

__

Keir's voice was deep and his blue eyes stared at Chan without emotion, but the blond had gotten used to that.  
He knew, Keir meant no harm.

__

“Zillah is looking for you, Sir!”, he explained quickly.  
“She told me to go find and tell you, that tonight's hunt is in need of planning!”

__

“Ah, the hunt!”  
Keir gave a hum that almost sounded like a growl, since it vibrated from deep within his chest.  
“Guess, I'll go meet her then!”

__

The leader's eyes set themselves on Chan for a second and the blond lowered his head a bit to show his submission.  
It always edged him a bit, but he knew that he had no right to act on his inner urge to rise to his full height. He had never been good at following other's orders, but this was Keir's pack and he was only a guest.  
A certain level of gratitude and modesty was a given in this situation.

__

“Have you finished your task?”

__

At Keir's question, Chan nodded.  
“Yes, Sir! Me and Sungjin just returned. Our firewood is stocked up again!”

__

“That's good! Well done!”

__

Keir gave Chan a pat on the shoulder that made the blond wince.  
He didn't like Keir's touches despite his respect for the man.  
They always felt somewhat lifeless!

__

“I'll head over to Zillah now and see what exactly she wants from me!”, Keir added.  
“You two better get back into the camp as well! Once the night hits, you shouldn't be out anymore!”

__

“Yes, Sir!”, Chan replied again, but this time, another voice mirrored his and reminded him of Nesrin, who was still standing behind Keir.  
He frowned at her, when Keir strode off back towards the camp.

__

“Weren't you with Sungie before I went out?”, he asked with an eyebrow raised. 

__

Nesrin and Jisung had become best friends the past winter and spent every minute together that they could.  
The both of them were omegas the same age and that was only one reason, why they had clicked so well, how Chan assumed. 

__

The other would bee the fact, that both omegas were stuffed to the brim with what they liked to call 'genuis-material'. 

__

'Dumbass-energy' was what Changbin had named it and unfortunately, Chan couldn't really argue with that statement.

__

“We finished out duties already!”, Nesrin now told him with a grin that didn't reassure Chan in the slightest.  
His eyebrow wandered upwards even higher.

__

“And where is he now?”, he probed, a certain feeling spreading in his stomach.  
It was not good.

__

“I dared him to catch a mouse!”, Nesrin exclaimed, her smirk only widening.  
Chan groaned loudly.

__

“Nes, you know he will do it!”, he complained to the omega.  
“What if he breaks his neck in the process?”

__

Huffing, Nesrin shook her head so that her open brown hair flew around a bit with the motion.

__

“That's exactly, why I didn't dare him to catch a squirrel!”, she replied seriously as if to lecture Chan over his own stupidity.  
“That would have ended badly for sure. But mice live on the ground anyways, so he would have to prove himself as the biggest idiot in history, if he managed to injure himself during that!”

__

“As if that is so much of a task for him!”, Chan grumbled under his breath.  
“You are not supposed to dare him to anything!”

__

Pouting, Nesrin sniffed with her eyes sparkling enough to let Chan know, that she was joking.

__

“But where is the fun in that?”, she asked back.  
“Besides, mice are almost impossible to catch. I'd be surprised, if he even manages to catch a simple glimpse of one!”

__

Facepalming, Chan let out a sigh.

__

“That's the thing about Jisung and dares, Nes!”, he breathed.  
“He makes them possible despite the chances!”

__

“I'm sure, he will be back, though!”, Nesrin only answered with a confident grin back on her face.  
“Shall we go back and check?”

__

Deciding, that there was nothing he could do now, Chan sighed one last time.

__

“Yeah, let's do that!”, he agreed before following a skipping Nesrin back into their encampment.  
_____

__

Jisung had – in fact again – proven, that daring him to do things enabled him to manipulate the chances of said task, because not much later after Chan and Nesrin had re-entered the camp, he, too, returned. 

__

In his hand, he was proudly holding up a little gray mouse. 

__

To top things off however, the omega had not only caught the animal but also caught it ALIVE, which meant that Jisung was vehemently struggling to not let his haul escape from his grasp but at the same time trying to prevent himself from crushing the poor thing. 

__

All in all, Chan had no idea, whether he was supposed to laugh or cry about all this and if simply turning his back on all this chaos and go to sleep was worth the risk of Jisung and Nesrin burning down the entire camp, while Keir and Zillah were out on the hunt together with a few others. 

__

Eventually his self preservative instincts took over and forced him to remain next to the re-lit campfire, which flames seemed to burn brighter and brighter, the darker it got around them.

__

With the night also came the cold, and Chan slowly began scooting closer towards Hyunjin, who was sitting between him and Changbin.

__

“Are you cold, hyung?”

__

Looking up at the words, Chan met Hyunjin's soft gaze.  
Although younger, the tall alpha always radiated more warmth than he could possibly need, and since Chan - just like Jisung and Changbin - got cold easily, Hyunjin had grown used to sharing his body-heat with everyone out of their pack.

__

“A little!”, Chan admitted with a smile.  
“Winter is coming and I need to get used to the temperatures again before I'll stop freezing!”

__

Hyunjin hummed quietly.  
“Do you want some of my warmth?”, he then asked with a small smirk.  
“I'm not cold at all!”

__

Snorting, Chan threw him a glance.  
“No wonder, you never get cold, Jinnie!”, he replied dryly.

__

“So do you?”, Hyunjin only asked again, and Chan felt his own lips spreading into a grin. 

__

“Are you asking me to cuddle you, Jinnie?”, he questioned, launching himself at the alpha beside him, before the other could even answer. 

__

“Hey, that was not what I meant, hyung!”, Hyunjin protested with a whine, when Chan's arms squeezed him tightly, but despite his objection, Chan could hear his friend giggle slightly.

__

“Ah, warm!”, he sighed in relief and to tease Hyunjin further.  
“You're the best, Jinnie!”

__

“I know! Thanks for noticing!”, Hyunjin huffed back with fake confidence.  
Chan only squeezed him harder in reply, until the alpha started begging for mercy.

__

Their moment together got cut short, when Changbin suddenly wriggled himself into Chan's embrace as well, his head almost clonking against Hyunjin's in the process.

__

“Who is getting cuddles without me?”, the short omega huffed in mock offense while he got comfortable in the tight space within Hyunjin's and Chan's arms.  
“You guys are traitors!”

__

“Well, you were still busy arguing with Jisung, so we figured, you had better things to do than cuddle!”. Hyunjin retorted.

__

Dramatically, Changbin sucked in a breath.

__

“There is no such thing as something better than cuddling!”, he chastised with such seriousness, that Chan couldn't help but laugh.

__

“Sure, sure, Binnie, sorry for not informing you about our cuddle session!”, he apologized sincerely.  
“Next time we'll tell you sooner!”

__

“You better!”, Changbin huffed before grinning himself.  
“By the way,”, he added smugly,  
“Sungie is not letting go of the mouse ever again, I think!”

__

That got Chan to loosen his embrace around Hyunjin. Immediately, cool air brushed his warmed up front, that had been pressed up against the tall alpha before, but he had something else in mind right now.

__

“Sungie?”

__

The omega perked up from his spot not too far away, right beside Nesrin, who had been talking to him insistently.

__

“What's up, Channie-hyung?”, he questioned with a innocent looking smile that would have fooled Chan if not for two very important things.

__

First his still tightly clasped hand, that he was shielding with the other.  
And second the fact, that Chan had known the boy for over three years already.  
Which sadly was the stronger argument in this case.

__

“Jisung, are you still holding the mouse?”

__

Defensively, Jisung pulled his hands closer to his chest. 

__

“No?”

__

Chan felt his eyebrow shoot up.

__

“What did we say about lying?”, he asked back.  
Jisung slumped a bit.

__

“Sorry, hyung!”, he mumbled sheepishly, before immediately returning to his stubborn posture.  
“But the mouse is fine!”

__

Sighing, Chan resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

__

“Sungie, the poor thing is probably scared out of it's mind! What you are doing, is not good!”

__

Jisung pushed out his lower lip in a similar manner to how Nesrin had done it before, when Chan had talked to her.

__

“But if I let her go here, she won't find her way back home!”, he argued with big eyes that Chan had a very hard time not giving in to.  
If he wanted to Jisung could look adorable.

__

Which didn't make him any less of a little demon.

__

“Sungie, mice are smart enough. Trust me, the poor thing will be fine as soon as you finally allow it to run off again!”

__

“Neji!”, Nesrin cut in from beside Jisung, who was still staring at Chan with pleading eyes.

__

“Pardon?”  
Chan had no idea, what she was talking about now.  
Fortunately, Nesrin immediately enlightened him.

__

“The mouse!”, she added while gesturing to the small bump sticking out from Jisung's closed fist.  
“It's a girl and her name is Neji!”

__

“As in Nesrin and Jisung!”, Jisung explained proudly.

__

Chan was seriously reconsidering his previous choice of staying awake.

__

“Jisung, let the mou-”, Chan saw the two omegas' glare and suppressed another sigh. “'Neji' go please!”. 

__

He pointed at the darkening sky.  
“Once the night has fully reached us, nightly hunters such as owls will endanger Neji on her way back and you guys don't want that, right?”

__

He felt like talking to two five-year-olds instead of to actual teenagers of fifteen!

__

Surprisingly, it was Nesrin, who caved in first.  
Nudging Jisung's foot with her own, her expression softened a bit.

__

“Come on, let's set her free!”, she mumbled and to Chan's relief, Jisung almost immediately agreed.

__

As the two omegas got up to bring the mouse – from which Chan very dearly hoped, it was even still breathing – towards the edge of the forest, Chan's attention got caught by Wooyoung snickering slightly from the other side of the fire.  
The alpha's face was barely visible over the growing flames, when Chan quirked an eyebrow at the boy in question.

__

“Sometimes you're more of a dad than an older brother, aren't you?”

__

Wooyoung leaned against Sungjin, who made a noise of complaint but didn't shove the younger alpha off nonetheless.  
Chan frowned a little.

__

“No, I'm not!”, he protested, only to get interrupted by Changbin laughing.

__

“He so is!”, the short omega agreed with his friend.  
“Sometimes, I feel like he adopted me and the other two!”

__

Sitting up again, Wooyoung raised a finger.  
“Is he a good dad, though – is the important question here!”

__

Chan narrowed his eyes at Changbin who gave him a short side-glance. 

__

“No wrong answers, son!”, Chan tried to growl in his deepest voice possible, but he lost it halfway through the sentence, along with both – Changbin and Wooyoung – who started cackling like maniacs.  
Even Hyunjin giggled along and Chan couldn't help the warmth, that enveloped his heart at the sounds of all of his friend's happy laughter.

__

“What's the joke?”

__

Chan almost jumped in surprise, when Jisung suddenly pressed himself against his side, Nesrin following as well. 

__

“Chan-hyung is everyone's daddy!”, Changbin exclaimed between snickers and Chan grimaced at the words, while Jisung and Nesrin joined in on the laughing.

__

“Please don't say it like that!”  
Giving a flick to Changbin's arm, Chan cringed again.  
“It sounds incredibly weird!”

__

Changbin only flashed him an evil grin.  
“Yes, daddy!”, he replied.  
“Sorry daddy!”

__

Then he quickly jumped off Hyunjin's lap to escape Chan who had gotten up to chase his friend.

__

Their fun got cut short though, when suddenly a loud yell echoed over the clearing.  
Chan disrupted his hunt and perked up, eyes scanning the darkness around them, that by now was almost pitch-black.  
That had been Keir! So their hunting party was back already!

__

Not much later, multiple feet running over foliage-covered ground could be heart, before the group of six people entered the clearing between the tents.  
One of them was Jimin, who had been on watch at the edge of the forest.

__

When Keir came into Chan's line of sight, he couldn't help but grin in delight.  
The man was carrying a big deer, enough for all of them to fill their stomachs for the next two days.

__

A slimmer shadow appeared behind the alpha and Zillah stepped up to the fire.

__

“Hunting was good, everyone!”, she exclaimed superfluously.  
“Now, while Mingi, San and Younghyun rest, I need some help with our prey, that Keir managed to kill! Any volunteers?”

__

No one got up and Chan realized, that all of them were tired from the day.  
But they needed to eat, so someone had to make the sacrifice.

__

“My mate asked you a question!”

__

Keir's voice was a low gruff sound, that made the tiny hair on Chan's neck stand up.  
Next to him, he could feel Jisung flinch.  
For an omega, the rage of an alpha could be very distressing for their inner wolf.

__

“I'll do it!”

__

Chan's hand was up before he even realized it.  
No need to rile Keir up even further.  
Although his arms still felt weirdly powerless. Like warm mud or something of the sorts.

__

“Thank you Chan!”

__

Zillah flashed him a smile, while Keir sent him a small appreciative nod.  
Chan bowed his head back before pulling himself away from Jisung's embrace to get up. 

__

In the motion, he gently stroked over the omega's head to calm him down a bit while spreading his scent just enough to reach his friends.  
He knew, Changbin and Hyunjin were scared of Keir sometimes, because the alpha had such a dominant aura around him, but he always did his best to reassure them. 

__

Keir wasn't evil. He was just a little rough around the edges!  
But despite that, Chan had always had great respect for the man, who had allowed Zillah to be herself again. 

__

Not everyone out here in this wolrd was ready to accept Betas.  
They were seen as weird and sometimes even dangerous and thanks to their lack of scent and sense of smell, their chances of survival weren't exceptionally high either.  
That Zillah was still alive was surely part of Keir's work, and Chan was grateful to him for that. 

__

“Shall we?”

__

Zillah looked at Chan in expectation and he realized, that he had zoned out a bit.  
Nodding, he patted Changbin's and Hyunjin's shoulder quickly as well before following Zillah to a spot a little farther away from the fire. 

__

The bigger the distance to the main group got, the colder Chan felt.  
Earlier, the fire and the cuddles of his friends had warmed him but now, he once again felt the coldness of the night creep under his clothes.

__

“Let's make quick work of this so we can eat!”, Zillah suggested and Chan gave his approval.  
Additionally to the cold, he was also hungry as hell!

__

“How did the hunt go?”, he asked to pass the time, as both – him and Zillah – pulled out their knives to start and dissect the body of the deer, that Keir had dumped onto the grass covered ground.

__

Zillah sighed.

__

“We lost the first one and I was already fearing, we'd have to go to sleep hungry tonight!”, she admitted.  
“But then Younghyun found another fresh trail of scent and managed to track it down, so Keir was able to kill it!”

__

“Thank goodness for that, I really need something to eat!”, Chan joked while he ignored his burning muscles as he cut through the thick skin of the deer.  
The fur was always somewhat annoying but after years of practice, Chan had learned to skin prey pretty effectively.

__

They worked in silence, until Chan picked up on small voices coming from the campfire.  
He perked up a bit, trying to listen in on their conversation.

__

“...o weird that she doesn't have a scent?” 

__

That was Mingi, if he was correct.

__

“Right? And I still don't know, why she goes on hunts! She can't smell the prey anyways!”

__

That was Lia.  
Chan frowned.  
They were talking about Zillah! But why were they saying such things? 

__

He began searching the people he could see for Keir's face, but he couldn't spot the alpha.  
Maybe he had gone to wash himself at the nearby stream.

__

“Let them be!”

__

Surprised, Chan turned towards Zillah, who was still working on the prey without even doing so much as looking up.

__

“You heard them?”, Chan asked carefully.  
He didn't want to add salt to a wound that Zillah had had ever since she was born, but he was surprised, that the beta was able to listen to the words being said by the fire.  
The distance was still pretty big and Chan had relied on his senses to be able to eavesdrop.

__

Zillah shook her head.

__

“I can't hear them!”, she admitted, a bitter tone to her voice.  
“But I'm not stupid! I know, what they say behind my back!”

__

Chan lowered his gaze in discomfort.  
He didn't want Zillah to feel this way, but on the other hand, he had no idea, what to do.  
Snorting dryly, Zillah shrugged halfheartedly. 

__

“It doesn't really matter!”, she pressed out.  
“At least Keir loves me! As long as I have him, I don't need their acceptance!”

__

Still not knowing of how to reply, Chan only nodded quietly.  
He himself had long gotten used to Zillah's lack of scent.  
It didn't really matter to him.  
Sure, at first, it had been weird, not being able to smell her, not being able to realize her approaching, but eventually, he had learned to recognize the sound of her steps.  
Now it was normal to him.

__

“I don't think, you are weird!”, he finally muttered after another few minutes of awkward silence (caw caw caw – yes folks, I did!).

__

The look Zillah shot him was filled with a mix of fatigue and infuriating sympathy.

__

“Of course you don't!”, she gave back quietly.  
“You of all people – Chan – would be the only one to understand! We're alike after all!”

__

Although not too far from the truth, her words somehow upset Chan a bit.  
He wasn't like Zillah! He was like himself!

__

“I have a scent though!”, he muttered despite knowing that his statement could hurt Zillah even further.  
“And my sense of smell is perfect!”

__

Zillah only gave a breathy laugh.  
It didn't sound particularly amused.  
Then she fixated him with her brown eyes, that looked weird in the flickering shine of the fire, which was bright enough to even light up the spot they were sitting in right now.

__

“Are you an alpha though?”, she asked and a cold squirming sensation filled Chan's stomach.  
All of the sudden, he wasn't too hungry anymore.

__

When he didn't answer immediately, Zillah suddenly flashed him a small smile. 

__

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that!”, she apologized.  
“That was not fair!”

__

“It's fine!”, Chan muttered, but inwardly, he didn't feel fine at all.

__

Zillah only sighed.

__

“Come on, let's finish this!”, she eventually changed the topic, raising from her crouched position beside the deer.  
“Could you get us the big basket? I think, Keir left it at the entrance to our tent!”

__

Nodding, Chan got up as well and wiped his bloodied knife clean with the cloth it was always stored in.  
He would wash it tomorrow. 

__

Then he scrambled off into the direction of Zillah and Keir's tent, eager to get away from the woman behind him.  
But her words stayed and kept echoing inside his head.

__

'Are you an alpha though?'

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, that nothing much happens in here but it's important to know a bit about Chan&Co. before they met Woojin's pack, so it's Kind of necessary.  
> The real chapter will follow soon...  
> ...right, WiFi? (*glares at router intensely*)


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travel to the Shopping Center - things are about to get crazy;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUCKING FINALLY!!!
> 
> i finally managed to update the second chapter for today! It took me Long enough, but eventually, my Computer decided to have some mercy on me, so yeah...
> 
> ...here's the real chapter i meant to post today!! Yeyy!
> 
> This one is harmless, though. No angst, no Horror, just travel-boredom...

“Hyung! Hyung, wake up!” 

Woojin blinkingly opened his still sleep-drunk eyes, only to be met with darkness.   
Immediately, a shot of panic went through his chest, letting his heart skip a beat, as he jolted upright with a gasp, only to realize, that he could still see. His surroundings were simply too dark to make out every feature of the room. 

Trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, he turned into the direction, from where the whispered words, that had woken him in the first place, had sounded from. 

Beside him sat the dark figure of Jeongin, the young alpha's eyes glimmering lightly, even here within the shadows, as he stared at Woojin. 

“Innie, what's the matter?” 

Woojin rubbed his hands over his face.  
Jeongin chuckled bemusedly. 

“Well, you were the one, who told me to wake him in the morning, but I guess you can continue snoring while the others make the trip without you!”, he teased Woojin, the older alpha only then remembering today's plans. 

“Oh right!”, he yelped, his hand reaching out to ruffle Jeongin's hair shortly in a grateful manner.   
“Thanks, Innie!” 

He looked around the main hall, scanning the sleeping bodies of the two groups, only to recognize Hyunjin at his own pack's side, apparently currently trying to wake up Chan. Turning back to a yawning Jeongin, he smiled softly. 

“You can go and cuddle up to Seungmin now!”, he offered, seeing the bags under his dongsaeng's eyes.   
“I will wake him, when we leave for the shopping center, so he can take over the watch!” 

Woojin almost expected the youngest to protest, since Jeongin loved mornings, but the alpha only nodded, his eyelids already drooping shut as he robbed over to his omega-friend on all fours to snuggle into the healer's side. 

Chuckling, Woojin bid him goodnight before turning to his other side, where Minho and Felix were still soundly asleep, legs tangled with each other, probably to share each other's body warmth. 

Carefully, the oldest began shaking the dark-haired alpha first. 

“Min, wake up, it's time to go!”, he coaxed as his friend began to stir under his ministrations, sleepily looking up to Woojin, to see, who had interrupted his slumber.   
A moment later, realization dawned on Minho's face, and the boy sat himself up, Felix arm, that had been wrapped around his middle, sliding off the alpha's body. 

“God, that's fucking early!”, he groaned, Woojin grinning at his friend mockingly. 

“At least you didn't have to be on watch last night, right?”, he teased, his words apparently silencing Minho, because the alpha only peeled himself out of the warming sheets and slipped into his boots, that stood next to Woojin's own, a few feet away from their resting-place. 

“Be right back!”, the dark-haired boy mumbled before heading for the main entrance, disappearing through the door frame and leaving Woojin behind with the task to somehow get Felix to wake up without loosing parts of his body. 

Sighing, the oldest leaned over to the freckled boy's form, the alpha still sleeping peacefully. 

“Lix, rise and shine!”, he murmured into the orange-head's ear, leaning back just in time to avoid a sloppily thrown punch by the younger, accompanied by a low groan.   
Again, Woojin took in a deep breath. 

This could take a while!  
_____

It took Woojin a solid fifteen minutes and a lot of help from the already awake Jisung to finally get Felix out of bed, the alpha having hit him twice by then, once on his chest and the other time against his shoulder. 

Now, the freckled boy was sitting beside Jisung on the floor, waiting for the others to get back from the stream and muttering countless apologies towards Woojin for what he had done subconsciously while he had still been half asleep.

“Lix, I told you, it's fine!”, Woojin assured while trying to hide his laugh at the seemingly desperate state the younger alpha was in.   
“You didn't do it on purpose! And besides, your punches, with half your brain still caught up in dreamland, aren't really damaging to be honest. There were times, when Jeongin hit me harder!” 

Frowning unhappily, Felix crossed his arms. 

“Not the point, hyung!”, he muttered lowly, his deep voice still a little hoarse from his sleep.   
“There is no excuse for violence and to be frank, there shouldn't ever be one in my opinion!” 

Jisung snorted.   
“No offense, but wasn't it you who wanted Changbin to show you that one kick again and again until you were finally able to get it right with enough power to crush someone's skull in the process?” 

“Well, fuck excuses, if someone dares to lay a hand on my pack!”, Felix huffed, his sulky tone somehow not entirely matching his intense words.   
“If they start talking with violence and refuse to try and understand reason, then I am certainly not gonna stand there and give them language lessons on how to speak MY first language but I am gonna answer in THEIRS to get the message across, that they aren't to mess with my friends or so help me I will personally strangle them!”

Jisung's mouth was hanging open from obvious admiration. 

“Wow, Lix, that was a fucking epic speech! Didn't know you could talk like that!”, he breathed. 

Woojin only face-palmed at both boys' words.   
Why was he stuck with them in the first place? 

As if the heavens had heard his silent prayers for salvation, voices got louder in the distance, before Minho and Chan entered through the door with Hyunjin and Changbin right behind them, all boys wearing their second outfits while carrying their previous clothes as wet bundles within their hands. 

Immediately, Jisung was on his feet, practically jumping from excitement. 

“Finally! I thought you guys had drowned or something!”, he exclaimed, apparently only realizing what he had just said, when Minho threw him an unamused glare.

“Oh sorry, I didn't mean it like that!”, the omega stuttered, searching for words to talk himself out of this situation.   
When he didn't seem to find any, his shoulders slumped in defeat. 

“Yeah, you know what I meant, never mind!”, he mumbled, before going back to his old self, his voice rising again.   
“Can we go now?”

Chuckling Chan positioned his washed t-shirt on their makeshift-drying-chair. 

“Aren't you gonna wash up first, Sungie?”, he asked teasingly, the omega slapping his forehead at his leader's words. 

“Right, bath!”, he simply muttered, before grabbing Felix wrist, pulling the flabbergasted alpha up. 

“Come on, Lix, let's get ready!”, he stated, already trying to drag the freckled boy out of the room, when Chan called him back one more time. 

“Aren't you gonna take your other shirt with you?”, the blond asked and Woojin could see the grin on the leader's face, that made the boy's dimples visible. 

“Oh yeah, almost forgot!” 

Quickly, Jisung let go of Felix to catch the sweater, Changbin threw at him before turning around once more. 

“We won't take long!”, the omega shouted back over his shoulder, then he bolted down the stairs, Felix right behind him, the freckled boy apparently having gotten infected by Jisung's contagious excitement. 

“Well, someone's eager!”, Minho commented dryly, as he stared after the two boys, before the alpha turned back to Woojin.   
“Aren't you gonna go, too?” 

Woojin sighed. 

“Yeah I am, but I certainly won't try to break the sonic barrier!”, he retorted, grabbing his spare shirt from beside him, where he had placed it before, and scrambling to his feet with a groan.   
“I have bones to break!”

His words earned him a snort from Minho and bemused grins from the other pack. 

“Well then, off you go, old man!”, his best friend mocked, a mischievous glint shining within his sharp eyes.   
“Don't loose your dentures on your way, though!

Woojin saw Changbin and Hyunjin share confused glances, probably asking themselves as to what dentures were, but Chan had apparently gotten Minho's joke, the blond leader breaking into fits of laughter. 

Pointing at a grinning Minho, Woojin headed for the exit. 

“Watch it, young man, I've whipped more asses within my life than you have fingers to count them on!” he threatened jokingly before waving the partly wheezing boys one last time and disappearing down the stairs as well, on his way after Felix and Jisung towards the stream.  
_____

When Woojin entered the main hall again, along with Jisung and Felix, Minho was already handing out bits of food to everyone as energizers for the upcoming trip. 

Stepping up to his friend, the oldest reached out to steal a piece of cold meat out of Minho's hand, which the alpha had been in the process of eating. 

“Yah!”, the boy exclaimed indignantly, when Woojin let the food disappear within his own mouth with a satisfied grin. 

“Revenge for your comment from before!”, he explained after swallowing, his friend only grumbling and snatching himself another piece out of the basket they used as container for their food. 

“We gotta go hunting again tomorrow, because after tonight, we're gonna be all out!”, Minho informed him after swallowing. 

Nodding, Woojin let his gaze wander over the remaining five boys, that stood or sat together in small groups, all hastily devouring the food Minho had given them beforehand, such as meat, berries or nuts, all of them having their backpacks secured onto their backs, ready to head off. 

Jisung and Felix had joined Chan, now happily chatting away with the blond, although it seemed like Jisung did most of the talking, his friends only listening and commenting his story from time to time. 

Not far from them stood Hyunjin and Changbin, the taller back-hugging the smaller, having his chin placed on Changbin's beanie-covered head while they waited for everyone to gather for their trip. 

“Ready?”, Minho asked from beside Woojin, his eyes drifting over to the main entrance from time to time, as if he couldn't wait to finally get going. 

If he was honest, Woojin could understand his friend. 

The last three years, the two of them had always been a part of the scavenging party, that had went to the abandoned shopping center to gather useful utensils for the winter.   
This year, they were about to head out for it again, but this time, they weren't just three people.   
This year, they were a group of seven boys, all able to defend themselves and to help with carrying things.   
And that made them so much stronger, gave them so much more possibilities, that Woojin couldn't help but feel excited as well. 

Or maybe, Jisung's endearing happiness because of the trip had just spread over to him, like some kind of disease.   
Not that Woojin would complain.

“Yeah, I think, we're ready!”, he therefore answered Minho's question, his own voice barely able to contain the giddiness he felt all of a sudden, like an impatient bird, set loose within his chest, that was fluttering around, telling him to finally get moving. 

“Did I hear you say, we're about to head out?” 

Only the heavens knew how Jisung had been able to hear Woojin's words over the noise of his own chatter from all across the room.   
It was truly a miracle, similar to how the omega was already on his feet again, jumping around as if his break down from the previous night had never happened.   
The fact forced a smile out of Woojin.

“Jup, we're gonna get going now, before we waste our whole day in here!”, Minho replied to the younger in Woojin's place, earning excited sounds, not only from Jisung but also from Felix, the two boys sharing grinning glances. 

“Alright, let's go then!” 

Chan scrambled to his feet, Felix having already stood up before him.   
The group in front of Woojin looked strong, and capable and so much like one single pack, that the oldest had to remind his inner wolf twice, that he wasn't the only leader within this room and that four of today's patrol-member's weren't people he had known for years but only for a Little over a month.

Quickly, they all gathered at the main entrance, Woojin only running back once to shake his younger brother awake to take over the watch from now on. 

Seungmin grumbled quite a lot to be woken up so early, but eventually, the omega seemed lively enough to not make Woojin worry, that the boy would drift back into sleep as soon as their group left.

“You can sleep when Innie wakes up again!”, he assured the healer, who only waved him off with small eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, just go!”, he muttered sleepily, eliciting a grin from Woojin.

“Kay, bye Minnie, see you tonight!”, he threw back over his shoulder before finally exiting the room to follow Minho, who had waited for him on the stairs, the remaining group having already been led outside by Chan.   
Together, the two boys bolted down the steps to the ground floor, where Hyunjin stood, holding the front door open for them to pass through. 

“Thanks!” 

Woojin smiled at the younger, the tall alpha only nodding, but his eyes held contact with the oldest's, the dark orbs holding that same friendly spark, that had always told Woojin of the good nature of a person. 

At least Hyunjin apparently trusted him by now, and Woojin was determined to make Jisung open up to him more as well.   
The younger omega was still a little wary towards him, not because Woojin had done anything to him but because it just was part of the brown-haired boy's character to be more suspicious and careful. 

Minho hadn't been able to get past that barrier of Jisung's either yet, although Woojin had the opinion, that the omega had more of an interest in the dark-haired alpha, than in him.   
As in, Jisung himself put more effort into building a trusting relationship with Minho, than he did with Woojin in the oldest's eyes.   
But he was okay with that, guessing, that the vivacious omega needed to go at his own pace. (there we go again with me and my stupid song-references;))

Outside, the sky was still pretty dark, only the edges of the horizon sporting faint colors, that indicated the upcoming dawn.   
The air was considerably colder than it had been the day before, and now, that there wasn't even the sun shining down on them to spent them a little warmth within the low temperatures of fall, Woojin was once again reminded, why they had to make this trip in the first place. 

To get them fitting clothes and similar stuff for the upcoming time, when they wouldn't be able to run around within their sweaters anymore without being at risk of catching a cold. 

He himself had decided to throw over his beloved black jacket that he was very fond of, the piece of clothing having accompanied him ever since he had left the city many years ago, but even with the extra layer, the oldest couldn't suppress a shiver, his skin forming goosebumps beneath his outfit.

“Can we finally go now?” 

Felix deep whine was the first thing, that Woojin heard, when he, Minho and Hyunjin reached the waiting group.   
It was very unusual for the freckled alpha to be so childish, voicing his thoughts all the time, since Woojin had always seen the orange-haired boy as someone rather quiet and observing, and he guessed, that the younger's newly expressive self had something to do with Jisung's influence. 

“We haven't even taken off yet and you are already complaining!”, Woojin mocked the younger.   
Felix turned towards him at being spoken to, a grin spreading on the boy's face. 

“Hyung! Minho! Finally!”, he exclaimed, a mischievous tone to his voice.   
“Now that we're complete, I guess we can head off!” 

An offended gasp sounded from Minho. 

“Yah, I'm older than you, too!”, he complained, but Felix only smirked at the alpha before skipping away to follow Jisung, who had already set off in the direction of north. 

How the omega was aware, in which way the abandoned shopping center was located, Woojin had no idea, but he had learned to ignore things like that when it came to the other pack.   
They simply were a category for themselves, but that was assumably what had let them survive until now, so it wasn't in Woojin's place to criticize them.

“I swear, Jisung's a bad influence for him!”, Minho muttered beside Woojin, making the older laugh. 

“As if Felix never disrespected you before they got here!”, he joked, throwing a nod in Chan's direction to signal the blond, that Woojin and Minho would follow them.   
Getting his message, Chan made his way after Felix and Jisung, Hyunjin and Changbin right at his side. 

“Well, yes he did, but I feel like he's enjoying it more these days!”, his friend whined, sounding a lot less like his normal dark self.   
Woojin grinned in reply. 

“That's on you for pranking him back then!”, he reminded Minho, the dark-haired alpha grumbling at the truth in Woojin's words. 

“Come on, it was one tiny little spider!”, he groaned, starting to move north as well, Woojin following suit. 

A snort escaped the oldest and he patted his friend on the back. 

“Well, one tiny little spider that Felix will never forget!”, he grinned, his words eliciting another frustrated howl from Minho, as they reached the treeline of the forest, diving between the trunks, to head for today's destination.  
__________

They had been walking for about an hour, the gray daylight already having won the upper hand on their surroundings, when Felix and Jisung got infected by boredom. 

Until now, the trip had been incident-less, the seven boys only talking quietly among each other, but after a while of walking through a seemingly endless forest, filled with trees and more trees, even Minho felt his feet grow heavy and his eyes tired. 

Felix and Jisung had begun to run around, breaking through the branch-wood between the trunks a little further away from their group before returning to them, only to take off for another round offside their actual path. 

Laughter and shouts could be heard from them, and somehow, a part of Minho wanted to join in on their activity.   
Off course he knew that it would only be a waste of energy, but that didn't change the fact, that Felix and Jisung seemed to have a lot of fun whilst Minho was – well, bored!

To distract himself, he started counting the colorful leaves, that covered the mossy ground, painting it red, yellow and orange. 

He had reached fifty for the third time already, when his eyes suddenly sported a big brown spot within all the foliage.   
When he bowed down to collect the ball-like thing, it turned out to be a walnut, the size of one of Jeongin's overly big chestnuts, from which Minho had found one within his bed only yesterday. 

Playing with it by throwing it up only to catch it again, Minho contemplated, whether Felix would maybe return to using honorifics for him, if he would offer the nut to the freckled boy, since Felix loved everything concerning food.   
He was about to come to the conclusion that it was worth a try, when suddenly, a pine cone hit the side of his arm, making him wince but more from the surprise then from actual pain. 

“Oops, sorry, didn't mean to hit you!”, came Felix mocking reply, not sounding the slightest bit remorseful, and accompanied by Jisung's little snickers, it let Minho's temper flare up. 

“Watch it, Lix, I'm still better at aiming than you are!”, he growled jokingly, glaring at the orange-haired alpha. 

Normally, Felix always decided to budge at things like this, someone else responding to his little banters, but apparently today was not your usual day, because this time, the freckled boy held eye-contact with Minho, raising one of his brows provocatively.   
And with a smirk on his face, he replied: “Oh really? Try me!”

And that was the very moment, Minho decided, that – No! – he did - in fact - not need Felix's respect that badly. 

And neither did he need the walnut, still dancing on his fingers. 

The loud clonk that resonated through the air, coming from the direction of the freckled alpha, when the nut collided with the boy's head, was way more satisfying than any honorific at the end of his name could have ever been, bringing a shit-eating grin to Minho's face. 

The muttered curses sounding from Felix were like the icing on the cake - no extra charge!

Unfortunately, right then, they passed a huge hazel bush and Felix was quick to return Minho's little gesture, Jisung being right at the orange-haired boy's side, filling is pockets with nuts for the alpha and him to throw. 

Feeling obliged to accept their declaration of war, Minho couldn't back down now, so he decided to retaliate. 

While he ducked to avoid a flying nut, his thoughts circled around the question, why he was even doing this.   
He could have been walking in the front, peacefully talking with Woojin and Chan.   
The two leader's were visible from his point in the back of their group, caught up in a conversation that Minho probably could have been a part of, instead of dancing rumba to dodge a few hundreds of incoming makeshift bullets. 

If only he had chosen to ignore the damn pine cone and Felix' grin. 

But despite his doubts, Minho couldn't suppress his cheers of victory whenever one of his own projectiles hit their target.  
_____

A few minutes and a bloody battle later, Minho, Jisung and Felix were panting hard, having settled their little quarrel for now by agreeing to momentary peace. 

Letting out a breathy laugh, Jisung turned to Minho, flashing the alpha a genuine grin. 

“You really are amazing at aiming!”, he admitted while trying to keep up their walking-pace with the little oxygen he had left. 

Minho himself had trouble with not suffocating, but he eventually managed, the heaving of his chest slowly easing out into a steady motion again. 

“Well thanks, you're not too bad yourself either!”, he grinned back, enjoying the friendly but teasing glint within the younger's gaze, that, for once, didn't rile up his inner wolf. 

Felix, walking between them, scoffed.   
“Why, hello, I am here, too!”, he grumbled, Minho smirking at the freckled boy. 

“You don't get attention for disrespecting your elders!”, he mocked, for which Felix hit his shoulder lightly, making Jisung cackle.

“Not trying to be the mood-kill, but with your volume, I'm sure, Seungmin and Jeongin are able to listen in on your discussion!” 

Changbin chimed into their conversation, catching up to them from behind where the short omega had been walking together with Hyunjin, the alpha now passing them, joining his leader in the front.

“Well, let them!”, Minho answered nonchalantly, earning himself a snort. 

“If they can hear us, so can other possible people around here!”, Changbin retorted dryly, unusually serious.   
Ever since this morning, Minho had noticed, that the short omega seemed more mature today, compared to normally.   
As if with the planning of their trip, the buff boy's sense for responsibility had been switched on. 

It made the alpha realize, that Changbin technically was only one year younger than himself, although the omega didn't always act according to his age.

“Oh come on, Binnie! As if someone would attack a group of seven people, on top of that people, who have nothing on them to steal!”, Jisung commented, shaking his head lightly to get his long fringe out of his eyes.   
“Bammie hasn't ever had to deal with other packs ever since he joined Jaebum-hyung. Why should it be any different for us?”

The newly mentioned names let Minho perk up, throwing a side-glance towards Jisung, only to realize, that Changbin was side-eyeing the younger as well.   
Apparently, the short boy wasn't too sure, whether Jisung was supposed to mention these other people. 

Minho tried his luck nonetheless.

“Bammie?”, he asked, sharing a curious look with Felix, who seemingly hadn't heard of the names yet either. 

“You wanna hear about Bammie?” 

Jisung's voice sounded slightly louder than before and at first, Minho thought, it only was his enhanced sense of hearing, that made him think that way, but when he saw the short look that Chan threw over his shoulder towards Jisung, he realized, that the omega had just asked his leader for the permission to elaborate the topic. 

“Yeah, come on, provide some info!”, Felix exclaimed, the freckled boy apparently not having picked up on the silent agreement between Jisung and Chan. 

Jisung only shrugged.

“Bammie's short for BamBam, an old friend of Chan-hyung!”, he explained as they kept walking, still trees all around them and no end in sight.   
“He is a member of the pack of an alpha called Jaebum. We used to live on the far end of his territory, where we were allowed to stay.”

Pulling his brows together, Minho frowned.   
Was this BamBam maybe the guy Chan had been talking about that night back then, when Minho and the blond leader had been on watch together?

“What's with that name?”, Felix interrupted his thoughts.   
The orange-head sounded weirded out, his freckled nose scrunched up in confusion.   
“Who even calls himself that?”

Breaking into a snicker, Changbin turned to the boy mid walk. 

“If you'd know his actual birth-name, you'd be happy to call him BamBam!”, the omega grinned.   
“Seriously, I've known him for years and I still can't pronounce it properly sometimes!”

The short boy's words set off new questions within Minho, but he was determined to get the one off his chest, that had been bothering him for quite some time now. 

“If that leader knew of you and accepted you, then how come, you didn't join his pack?”, he asked, a little unsure about the matter.   
Chan's group should have made every pack they possibly could have joined, stronger, so it didn't make sense to Minho, as to why someone wouldn't want the boys with them.

Changbin apparently seemed to sense his inner quarrel, because the omega made a reassuring gesture with his hand in his direction. 

“Jaebum probably would have accepted us within his pack, but only because of Jinyoung, his second in command.”, the short boy replied, quick to answer Minho's unvoiced questions.   
“Jinyoung is an alpha and the second-strongest out of Jaebum's pack. He was the one, who took BamBam in back then, before Chan met him and since BamBam is like a little brother or even a son to Jinyoung, I am sure, that we would have been able to join their pack, if Chan had asked them.”

Stepping over a fallen tree-trunk, Minho continued Changbin's unspoken sentence. 

“But he didn't?”

Again, Jisung nodded. 

“Jup, he never asked! It was obvious, that Jaebum-hyung would have only done it and accepted us for Jinyoung's sake and on top of that, we all knew, that Chan had always been the leader type.” 

The omega grinned.   
“He surely would have butted heads with Jaebum every two minutes!” 

Minho's frown got deeper.   
Sure, ever since yesterday's scenario between Woojin and Chan, he could totally picture the blond fighting with another leader, but on the other hand, he had also seen the boy swallow his pride and accept help for his own and his friends' sake. 

Incomprehension dominating his mind, Minho couldn't help but voicing his questions again.   
“But wouldn't that have been better nonetheless, instead of having to starve and live in constant danger?”

This time, Changbin's smile looked a little sad, almost pained. 

“You guys have met us at our worst!”, the short boy agreed.   
“But it wasn't always like that for us. How do you think we knew how to hunt. Why do you think, we survived until now?” 

Even Jisung sounded more serious, when he added: “Don't misjudge us because of how you met us. We were a very capable group all on our own!”

Those statements caught Minho off guard because, he had, in fact, always thought of the other pack as – well, not weak but somehow vulnerable.   
Probably because of the state they had been in when they first had crossed paths.   
But now that he thought about it, he realized, that Changbin was right. 

The pack had always known, how to hunt and helped them greatly, ever since they had gotten here.   
They also were awesome fighters altogether and had perfect chemistry among each other. 

All in all, if Minho took a proper look at them now, he could see, that they symbolized a perfectly working pack. 

The only thing, that did in no way fit that image, was the fresh long scar that Chan was hiding beneath his Sweater. A grim reminder of the fact, that there had been a time, when the other pack obviously hadn't been capable enough for this cruel world.

“Well, but what happened for you guys to get down to your worst?” 

Apparently, Felix had the same thoughts, because the freckled alpha spoke the exact words out loud, that had spun around within Minho's head. 

Sighing, Jisung carded a hand through his hair after having made several successless attempts of throwing his bangs back via head-whip. 

“Well, at some point, the western and the eastern pack claimed the territories to both of our sides, and since you guys were in the north, we suddenly had no place to go hunting at anymore.”, he explained casually, Changbin quickly nodding along.  
Almost a Little too quickly for Monho's taste, but he Chose to ignore it for now.

“On top of that, the new packs were more aggressive and after them finding us twice while we were busy trying to roast some meat over a fire, we decided, that it would be better, if we stopped hunting, until we had a save place to go to again!”, the short omega concluded, leaving both, Felix and Minho, wide-eyed. 

“So Chan was telling the truth back then when he told us, that you guys were about to leave this place anyways!”, Minho realized, remembering the first conversation him and Woojin had had with the blond leader.   
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, when he connected two dots within his head. 

“But something happened, that postponed your departure!”   
He lowered his voice a little, muttering the rest of the sentence under his breath. 

“Something that led to Chan getting his injury!”

His words apparently hit a sensitive nerve within Jisung and Changbin, because suddenly, none of the two omegas seemed too eager to answer him, both having their lips pressed together as if they were afraid to say something they weren't supposed to. 

Within their eyes, Minho could see mixed emotions, a vortex of fear, pain and something that almost looked like anger to the alpha.   
Tempted to dig deeper into their pile of secrets, Minho opened his mouth again, only to be interrupted by another voice.

“Boys, there is a stream to cross right ahead, would you catch up a bit!” 

Looking ahead, Minho saw Chan and Woojin standing at the shore of the large stream, that they always had to pass whenever they were heading for the old shopping center. 

Chan, the one who had called them, had a similar look on his face as his two friends beside Minho, and the alpha realized, that the blond had interrupted their conversation on purpose. 

It riled him up, more than he could explain, that, apparently, Chan was still not willed to let them in on this mystery concerning his person and backstory, even after over a whole month of getting to know each other.

The four boys in the back quickly joined the two leaders and Hyunjin, who were already examining the broad band of water in front of them, which quickly let Minho's rage die out. 

To his horror, the stream was even more raging and dangerous looking, than he had remembered it from the past, probably caused by the many rainfalls of the past weeks.   
Normally, Woojin, Minho and Felix had been able to wade through the stream, the water only reaching up to their waist at a maximum, but Minho was pretty sure, that this time, they'd be in deeper.   
And that thought didn't please him at all. 

Sure, the temperatures had risen ever since the sun had come out and since they still had about one more hour to walk until they would reach their destination, Minho was sure, none of them would catch a cold or something worse.   
But that didn't change the fact, that he couldn't swim and that he hated water, as long as he didn't use it for drinking or washing purposes.

“Alright, usually, the stream is a little smaller, but this year, it appears to carry a lot more water, so we have to be careful while crossing it!”, Woojin explained, his voice raised a little to not get drowned out by the gurgling sounding from behind him. 

Pulling his sweater over his head, Chan nodded. 

“I suggest you discard your shirts and throw them over to the other side within your backpacks, once one of us has reached there, so that you'll have something dry to wear afterwards!”, he proposed, getting rid of his t-shirt as well, the action leaving his torso bare. 

Once more, Minho realized, how much positive weight the blond had gained over the past month.   
Not only Jisung had gotten more healthy and stronger, Chan had, too. 

His red looking scar stood out on his white skin, telling of the story Minho didn't know, but somehow, it gave the leader a wild look, something untamable that the alpha couldn't help but admire.   
Chan was strong, and Minho was yet again reminded of that fact.

“He is right, you should take off whatever you're capable of!”, Woojin agreed as well, discarding his jacket and top on the ground.   
It was almost funny, how big of a difference there was between him and Chan, concerning their skin tones. 

While Chan was pale, his skin looking a bit like marble, Woojin was at least five facets darker, sporting an almost golden-brown color, and combined with his black hair, he looked like Chan's complete opposite.   
Only the blond's eyes were a tad darker than Woojin's and somehow, it freaked Minho a bit, simply because it just didn't fit Chan's whole concept.

The other's around him started taking off their sweaters as well, and Minho, too, stripped himself off his backpack and the clothes covering his upper Body.   
Yet he left his last shirt on.   
He never felt comfortable not wearing anything next to other people. 

Hyunjin and Jisung seemed to share his opinion, because both boys made no attempt in ridding themselves of their last layer, the taller alpha even leaving his whole sweater on. 

Changbin, on the other hand, seemed to have no concerns of the sort, the short omega already standing beside an equally bare Felix with their stuffed bags within their hands.

“Okay who wants to go first?”, Woojin asked, crumbling the clothes within his hands into a ball, and shoving them into his bag as well.   
Chan raised his arm almost immediately. 

“I can go!”, he offered, continuing before Woojin could comment anything.   
“Binnie, you should go with either me or Hyunjin, in case the water gets too deep in the middle!”

Minho could see Changbin jutting his lip out, offended because of the mention of his small size, but nevertheless, the omega nodded. 

“I'll go with Jinnie!”, he answered, throwing a look over to Hyunjin, who returned his gaze, a small smile on his lips.   
Humming in agreement, Chan turned around, leaving his backpack on the ground for the others to throw it over to the other side as soon as he would reach there. 

“Chan, will you be fine alone?”, Woojin held the blond back.   
The look on his face seemed concerned, making Minho wonder, just how strong his leader's protective feelings for the blond actually were, despite Chan's obvious ability to manage situations like this one. 

“I'm gonna be fine, this is not the first time, I've crossed a stream!”, the leader answered reassuringly, as he carefully sidestepped to get past Woojin. 

Wading into the stream, the blond walked slowly at first, apparently literally testing the waters, and Minho's horror grew, when not even yet in the middle of the stream, the water was already reaching up to Chan's lower chest.

“You guys have to be careful, the undertow is pretty strong here!”, the leader warned, as he kept ploughing on through the waves.   
Luckily, the water didn't get much deeper than just below his shoulders, making Minho heave a relieved sigh. At least that meant no swimming!

Soon, Chan climbed out the stream at the other side, his pale skin glistening from thousands of droplets of water, as he shook himself slightly.

“Okay, you can throw over your clothes now!”, he called towards them, extending his arms to catch the awaited bundles.

Woojin picked up Chan's bag first to throw it over, the other leader catching it, before the oldest repeated the action with his own bundle. 

“I will go last, so you can all leave your clothes and I will throw them as soon as you guys have reached the other side!”, Woojin suggested, motioning for Changbin and Hyunjin to go next. 

The two boys didn't hesitate and dove into the water, crossing the stream pretty quickly, the taller helping the omega whenever the water got a little too deep for the short boy.

Inwardly, Minho felt his stomach squirm.   
He had done this a few times already and he wasn't particularly scared of water either, but that didn't change the fact, that he was fucking scared of drowning! 

“Want to come with Felix and me?” 

The sudden voice right next to him startled Minho and he almost jumped sideways in shock. 

“Jesus fucking Christ, Jisung, don't do that!”, he snapped, his heart beating wildly within his rib-cage. 

The omega smiled sheepishly.   
“Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!”, he apologized.   
Then he repeated his question.   
“You wanna come with us? We can all hold hands so no one drifts off!” 

Minho searched the brown-haired boy's face for any kind of amusement or snark but he only found genuine friendliness within his eyes.   
Jisung wasn't making fun of him, and the alpha assumed, it was because the omega knew himself, how terrible fear was.

At first, Minho wanted to decline, rather going with Woojin, but when his leader threw him a reassuring smile, he decided to pull himself together.   
He was 19 years old, for fucks sake!   
He didn't need Woojin to hold his hand while crossing a fucking stream!

“Sure, thanks!”, he therefore accepted Jisung's proposal, Felix nodding at him, as they stepped up to the riverside.   
The freckled boy was aware of Minho's wariness towards water as well, and Minho knew, that Felix would dive after him anytime, despite their previous quarrel. 

The orange-haired alpha was as much a part of Minho's family as Woojin was, even though Minho had known his best friend way longer.   
But Felix had proven himself loyal and trustworthy many times already, and that way, Minho knew, that he was safe next to the younger. 

About Jisung – Minho wasn't sure, why, but a part of him trusted the quirky omega as well. 

The water of the stream reached for his feet like claws of a hungry animal, sending a shudder down Minho's spine, but he forced himself to not think about it too much.   
Fear let you twist things within your mind, making them appear much more petrifying than they actually were and he refused to give in to his emotions.

A tap on his shoulder made Minho look up, only to see Jisung's outstretched hand, ready for him to take.   
When he closed his fingers around the omega's palm, a weird kind of calmness seemed to spread over him.   
As if Jisung had deleted any spur of fearfrom him, locking the negative emotion away into one tiny part in the back of his head. 

There still was the knowledge, that - yes - he was nervous, and - yes - he was a little scared, but somehow, now, he was okay with that, simply accepting the fact for now.

“Ready?” 

Felix voice sounded unusually deep to Minho, even for the freckled alpha, and he only nodded in response, taking one step forward into the water, along with the two boys at his side. 

A faint hiss escaped Minho's lips when his skin came in contact with the icy force of nature, but he tried to ignore it and kept wading deeper into the stream, all along Jisung's hand tightly secured within his own. 

The further they got, the stronger Minho felt the water pull on his legs, threatening to rob him of his balance and devour him alive, but he fought against it, determined not to drown today. 

He had other plans, and this stupid stream would not ruin them for him!

At the time the water hit his shoulders, Minho felt like a block of ice, the only warmth within his whole body being Jisung's hand in the places where their skin touched.   
And Minho clung to it, both, literally and figuratively.

Finally, the ground beneath his feet tinted upwards again, leading to the other riverside of the stream, where Chan, Hyunjin and Changbin were already waiting for them with outstretched arms to help them out of the water. 

Reaching for Chan's arm, Minho felt a strong pull, as the leader lifted him up, enabling the alpha to escape the cold element that he so despised.

“Thanks!”, Minho grunted in the blond's direction, the leader only flashing him a quick nod before he turned back towards Woojin, who was still standing on the other side, waiting for them to get ready, so he could throw over the bags they had all left behind.

Wanting to turn around as well, Minho felt some resistance on his arm.   
Once he looked down, he realized, that he was still holding onto Jisung's hand, the omega grinning at him sheepishly. 

“Well, I don't have any objections as of until now, but I guess you'll have to let me go eventually!”, he teased.   
Minho felt his own face heat up slightly as he hastily broke their intertwined fingers apart. 

“Sorry!”, he muttered quickly, before turning back to the stream to hide his embarrassment from Jisung.   
Although he was pretty sure, the omega had already seen his reddened ears poking out from under his hair.

By now, Woojin had already moved most of the clothes over to Chan, who always caught whatever flew his way. 

Now, the oldest bowed down to pick up the last bag at his feet, before he wound up and threw the backpack over the stream. 

A sudden gust of wind almost carried the bag away, and Minho already feared for it, since the backpack was his.   
But in the last moment, Chan grabbed Hyunjin's arm with one hand, leaned forward over the stream and caught the item, Hyunjin pulling him back before the blond could take another involuntary bath within the cold water. 

“Nice catch!”, Woojin shouted from his side, flashing Chan a grin, before he, too, waded into the water, crossing the stream quickly and reaching Minho's side in less than a minute where Felix reached down to help the dark-haired leader up.

“I believe, this is yours!” 

The voice made Minho turn his head towards Chan, who had stepped up to him, his stretched out hand holding Minho's bag. 

“Yeah, thanks for saving it!”, Minho replied, a grin spreading on his face, as he grabbed it and reached inside it for his other piece of clothing.   
His soaked t-shirt clung to his body uncomfortably and he was in a hurry to change into his dry top. 

“No problem, wouldn't want you to get sick!”, the leader gave back with a smile, before he grabbed his own shirt from his backpack on the ground and pulled it over his head in one swift movement, his blond locks bouncing once, when the fabric released them again. 

Hurriedly, Minho peeled the wet clothing off his torso, throwing it to the ground before he slipped his gray sweater over his head.   
He sighed at the comfortable dry and warm feeling that engulfed him immediately.   
Even though today at least the wind wasn't as strong as the last few days, the temperatures were still not high enough for him not to freeze while being wet.

Speaking of which – Minho's gaze wandered over to Hyunjin, the only one, who hadn't stripped of his clothes before crossing the stream and who therefore was dripping wet now, unable to change into anything else.   
Minho frowned. 

The tall alpha must have known about the fact, that he would have to continue their trip soaked, so why didn't he act cleverly and kept at least his sweater dry? 

In that moment, Chan stepped up to Hyunjin, still only dressed in his thin shirt, as he held his thicker sweater out to the alpha. 

“Get rid of your clothes, Jinnie!”, Minho heard the blond say.   
“You can wear mine!” 

Hyunjin tried to protest, mumbling something about how he was fine, but Chan shook his head determinedly, pushing his leftover piece of clothing into the tall alpha's hand.   
Apparently giving in, Hyunjin turned around and disappeared behind a few nearby bushes. 

The action deepened the furrow within Minho's brows.   
Why didn't the alpha change here, like everyone else? Was he shy? Judging by the boy's personality, Minho wouldn't put it past the tall alpha, but nevertheless, it didn't quite make sense to him.

Thoughtfully staring at Chan's back, Minho didn't notice that the blond leader turning around until Chan made direct eye-contact with him. 

Embarrassed for having gotten caught staring, Minho averted his gaze, his cheeks heating up a little.   
When he dared to glance up again, Chan was still looking at him, a faint smile on his lips, although it didn't look too happy.   
His dark eyes told stories, and even though Minho couldn't fully grasp the whole content, he understood one thing: Hyunjin had his reasons. 

And more wasn't to know for Minho to realize, that it probably had something to do with the tall boy's past.   
Woojin had told him about how Hyunjin was easily frightened by other alphas, always trying to never go against them, and the oldest assumed, that the pretty boy got mistreated within his last pack before Chan's.   
Something, that Minho was familiar with, even though his own past wasn't as dark as having to live within an abusive group of people. 

Sure, his mother hadn't been perfect and more than once, he had to work hard in order to be able to eat dinner in the evening, but other than that, he believed, his own childhood hadn't been too bad compared to what he had heard from others.   
Especially what Chan had told him about Jisung yesterday, still wouldn't leave his mind, even after having ghosted through his dreams all night long already. 

Slight cracking noises from the bush Hyunjin had disappeared behind, told Minho of the tall boy's return.   
When the alpha stepped out from behind the plant, Jisung was at his side. 

Only now, Minho realized, that the young omega had been missing from their group as well and he questioned what the brown-haired boy was hiding to not wanting to change his shirt among them either.

“All right, are we ready to go?”, Woojin asked, his voice slightly raised to make everyone understand him.   
When the whole group nodded, Chan pointed to a large bush beside them, similar to the one Hyunjin and Jisung had dressed behind. 

“I think, we should leave our wet clothes here and pick them up on our way back!”, he suggested.   
“That way, we don't have to carry them with us all the time and they have time to dry while we are gone!”

Nodding Woojin agreed.   
“Good idea, I don't think, any other people are gonna pass by here, so it should be save!” 

Walking over to the bush, Minho hung his wet shirt over the plant's branches, the smaller twigs bowing under the weight of the soaked clothing, but stubbornly maintaining their position nonetheless.   
Jisung and Hyunjin followed his example, until the whole bush was nicely decorated with drying shirts, making it look like strange art or a type of extraterrestrial plant. 

“Are we good to go now?” 

Woojin's question was directed at everyone again, but he was looking at Chan.   
Minho knew, what his friend was doing.   
Ever since yesterday's incident between Chan and Woojin, the oldest tried to show more respect for the blond, tried to include him in every possible decision they had to make. 

That way, Woojin was trying to make Chan understand, that he valued and respected the boy's position as a leader, probably hoping to get Chan and Jisung to trust him more, the more he stressed that fact. 

Although, Minho was pretty sure, that Jisung had already figured out, what the oldest was doing, he couldn't deny, that the other pack - and especially Chan - looked more relaxed while confronted with the assurance, that Chan still held the leader-position and was the one to make decisions.

“All good!”, the blond now replied while flashing Woojin a short smile.   
“Let's get moving again so that we reach there before noon!”

The group started walking again, still following the northern direction, within which the shopping center was located. 

Soon, the tree's around them cleared out a bit, letting the forest seem brighter and less deep.   
If Minho was honest, he liked it better like this, being able to actually see the sky instead of only catching a glimpse of it from time to time. 

Jisung, however, even went as far as to audibly heave a sigh, when the clouds got visible between the colorful tree-tops. 

“Finally, a little piece of freedom!”, the omega muttered under his breath, seemingly not meaning for anyone to hear him. 

Minho didn't ask him about the matter.   
Thinking about it properly, he could connect the dots that explained the boy's behavior. 

Whenever Jisung could, the boy ran up to the platform of the apartment-tower to look at the sky and the world beneath him, it was only logical to assume that the omega felt caged within narrow forests and such. 

Minho guessed, that fact came along with his fear of getting held down.  
Therefore, he didn't comment, averting his eyes from the brown-haired boy and kept walking, following Chan and Woojin in the front.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that was that.
> 
> I apologize for taking so Long. Hopefully, tomorrow itll be easier.  
> One Thing i can assure though, is that the next chapter will be more interesting again with more Action and more fun!;)
> 
> See you guys tomorrow!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopping-cart-races and stuff...!;)
> 
> (stuff is a Little bit if Minsung)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank my wifi and my Computer for wordlessly cooperating with me today!;)
> 
> This chapter is absolutely harmless, so no warnings. It's just fun and games, before i'll drop the hard stuff on you guys! Enjoy it while you can!  
> *evil author's laughter*
> 
> just kidding, ill just make them suffer a Little, i promise:)

The rest of their trip went by in a blink.  
Minho passed his time with conversations with Woojin and Chan, the two leaders happily letting him join in on their talks. 

It had been silent for quite a while now, since Jisung and Felix had calmed down after the crossing of the stream and the two hyper boys were now only chatting with Hyunjin and Changbin, who seemingly had loosened up a bit as well.  
Hyunjin even giggled over a few of Jisung's jokes from time to time – which really were a slight bit funny today, if Minho had to admit it. 

That way, they kept walking, until the light forest got interrupted by occasional houses and grown-over concrete on the ground, that indicated the old streets, which had led through here.

When the silhouette of the old shopping center finally came in sight, however, the previous silence vanished like fog in the sunlight. 

“Channie-hyung, I can see it!”, Jisung yelled, jumping up and down a bit like a little child. 

It somehow was endearing and at the same time unbelievably annoying to Minho, the alpha feeling his inner wolf get agitated again, even if it wasn't as bad as it had been in the past.  
Or maybe, Minho had just gotten used to it by now, as well as to Jisung's sweet, yet fresh scent, that he had hated so much at first.  
Now it even smelled a little welcoming to the alpha.  
Almost like Woojin always had to him.  


“I know, Sungie, I have eyes, too!”, Chan replied, his tone much more affectionate, than his words would led on.  
The blond probably was long used to Jisung's easily amazed self. 

But not only the omega was excited, but Felix, too.  
The freckled alpha beamed at Jisung. 

“Wanna race me there!”, he grinned, and Jisung‘s face lit up at his friend's words. 

“Deal!”, he exclaimed, ducking into a starting position.  
“Ready when you are!” 

Giggling, Changbin let his hands slap together in a loud clap with no further warning. 

“Go!”, he yelled and neither Felix nor Jisung wasted another second to start sprinting towards the dark looking building a few hundred meters away from their group. 

“Binnie, what if they meet someone they aren't supposed to?”, Chan chimed in, his tone sounding concerned, but Woojin made a reassuring gesture with his hand. 

“In the three years we've been here, we have never met another human being!”, he stated before pulling his lips into a smirk.  
“And besides, they can both defend themselves pretty well!”

The dark eyes of the blond leader still looked a little wary, as if he knew more, than Woojin had taken into consideration, but apparently, he decided to keep his mouth shut for now, because he didn't add anything else but only slightly picked up his own pace, how Minho noticed.

With every step they took towards the abandoned shopping center, the old building grew bigger and bigger, until they were able to overlook the whole thing, including the dark looking entrance.  
Even though this place was somewhat known by Minho, since he had been here three times already, it still felt weird to come back to something so much civilization-like.  
In a way familiar and yet so strange and foreign at the same time, especially after years of living within the woods.  
It let Minho get overcome by an eerie feeling, despite the bright daylight and the not-so-creepy sign above the main door that read 'shopping center' in slightly studdery looking letters.

His thoughts came to an abrupt end, when Chan suddenly barked out a violent curse, only one second before the blond broke out into a full-blown sprint towards the building. 

It took Minho a moment to realize, what had set the leader off, but when he did, he, too, fell into a run, along with Woojin, Hyunjin and Changbin. 

The four figures that had entered the line of his vision, simply were two people too much.

Closing in on the small group, Minho could distinguish a boy and a girl, both standing in front of Jisung and Felix, who hadn't moved from their spot and kept their ground shoulder to shoulder.

Chan was the first one to reach them and Minho could hear the low growl that resonated within the blond's voice, as he rose to talk, seconds before Minho, Hyunjin and Woojin finally reached them as well.  
All of them came to a sudden halt beside their friends.

“What is going on here?” 

Woojin didn't sound out of breath at all. 

The boy of the two newcomers visibly tensed at the oldest's firm tone, cowering a little behind his slightly shorter but definitely more fierce looking partner.  
The sweet scent of peaches crazed Minho's nose, mixed with fear and told him of the second gender of the boy. 

The girl, however, had a vicious scowl on her face, her teeth slightly bared and her sharp scent strong. She was definitely an alpha and even though she looked even younger than Jeongin was, her aura told Minho, that he shouldn't underestimate her.

When none of the two foreign teenagers answered, Jisung piped up, his voice steady and his eyes unafraid. 

“They appeared just when Felix and I got here. But they didn't do anything!”

“Were you about to leave?” 

Chan sounded calm, but Minho could see how tightly the leader had gripped Jisung's shoulder, while his other hand was extended slightly to keep Hyunjin and Changbin behind himself.  
The atmosphere around him seemed tense and heavy, signaling everyone within reach that he was ready to protect his pack. 

A part of Minho respected him for that, while the other somehow wanted to be close enough to the leader to fall into the category of Chan's family as well.  
Not that he wanted to get protected but he wanted to be able stand alongside this strength that the blond possessed whenever he went into his leader-mode.

“We were just on our way out!”,  
The voice of the girl was slightly gruff, sounding darker than Minho had assumed on the first glance.  
“If you let us leave in peace, we won't bother you anymore!”

Woojin gave a curt nod. 

“Sure, we won't stop you! Please proceed!”, he replied firmly. 

His eyes didn't leave the two teen's forms, as they cautiously backed away from the entrance of the shopping center, now and then throwing suspicious glances back towards Minho's group as if they couldn't quite believe, that no one was following them.  
But after a few minutes, they disappeared within the distant line of the forest, heading west. 

As soon as they were out of sight, Minho felt, how both leaders simultaneously relaxed, letting their shoulders sag.  
Woojin was the first one to break the heavy silence around them. 

“I am so sorry!”, he started, words and gaze directed at Chan.  
“I really didn't think, we would meet someone!” 

The blond only waved him off though. 

“It wasn't your fault!”, Chan assured, his lips curling into a faint smile, as he let his hand slide off Jisung's arm, his other reaching behind to pat Changbin on the back slightly as if to reassure the omega. 

Minho had seen the leader do this before already, back when they had first met underneath the cliff.  
Somehow, to Chan, patting or brushing his pack-mates arms or upper body in general, seemingly was like a silent way of soothing and calming his friends. 

“How should you have known, that we would meet someone within this endless wilderness?”

Apparently Woojin didn't have a proper answer to that question, because he kept silent, only throwing Felix a scrutinizing look to check whether the freckled alpha was okay.

“Let's hurry!”, Chan then ordered.  
“I don't think, there is anyone else here, but if others know about this place, which they apparently do, then someone could show up here anytime.” 

“Can't agree more!”, Woojin mumbled, moving towards the main entrance of the building beside them and leading their group forward before adding: “Just because we are seven people and therefore probably stronger than most others, doesn't mean we have to search for a fight or anything of the sort!”

Chuckling, Minho shook his head. 

“Come on, Woo, don't you think, Seungmin is getting a little bored?”, he asked sarcastically.  
His friend only threw him a displeased look back over his shoulder.

Still grinning, Minho was about to follow the group, Hyunjin, Felix and Changbin already trailing after Chan, when suddenly he realized Jisung's form.  
The omega was still standing at his previous spot while his eyes were staring at the point, the two strangers had disappeared at. 

He looked lost in thought, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he was trying to find the answer to a question that Minho didn't know. 

Carefully, Minho approached the younger, cautious to not scare the omega again, as he had done once during their hunt.  
He had learned by now, that Jisung was a jumpy scaredy-cat, even though he was the most adventurous and vivacious one out of his pack.

“Jisung?”  
  
Forcing his tone to be softer than usual, Minho called out to the omega and got a reaction right at the first try. 

“Huh, what?”  
  
Jisung appeared a little dazed, as he turned around to focus on Minho, who stood behind him. 

Realizing, how they were the only ones left, the brown-haired boy flinched lightly.  
It somehow hurt Minho to know, that the omega still didn't trust him completely, but he didn't blame Jisung.  
He didn't trust Chan either yet.  
At least not fully.

“Sorry, I kinda missed our departure!”, the omega mumbled, throwing one last look towards the west, before he caught up to Minho, them both heading for the shopping center. 

“What were you thinking about?”, Minho dared to ask, although he didn't really expect a proper answer. 

Like everyone out of his pack, Jisung seemed to love the mystery.

True to his expectations, the omega only shrugged warily. 

“Nothing important in particular!”, he answered, although his still concentrated gaze told a different story.  
“Just wondering about the two kids from before.”

Nodding, Minho tried to not snap at the younger to tell him the truth.  
It wouldn‘t get him his wanted informations either. 

Instead, he only stared ahead to where Woojin was waiting for them.  
Chan and the others were out of sight, probably already inside the building. 

“I am pretty sure, they are gonna be alright. According to their scents, they were a part of a pack!”, he assured Jisung.

But instead of looking relieved, the omega's brows carved in even deeper, his eyes getting dark at Minho's words. 

“Yeah, I thought so, too!”, the brown-haired boy muttered, more to himself than to Minho. 

The alpha was tempted to ask, what made the younger look so uneasy, but he bit his tongue to prevent the words from tumbling out.  
Judging by his previous experiences, he wouldn't get an answer anyways!

When they reached Woojin, Jisung quickly ran past the oldest, heading inside without a further word.  
Raising his brows in question, Woojin glanced at Minho. 

“Don't ask me, I didn't do anything!”, the alpha defended, holding up his hands as if to show his friend, that he was unarmed.  
“He's been like that ever since the meeting!”

Shrugging, Woojin led Minho through the broken door of the entrance as well that was slightly covered by grass and bushes.  
“Maybe it shook him to see other people. After all, I'm pretty sure, the last crossing of paths with strangers apart from us didn't end too pleasantly for them!”

That thought hadn't even come to Minho's mind just yet, but now, that he considered it, he had to admit, that it was a plausible explanation for the omega's behavior.  
Jisung probably remembered the incident, that had almost costed Chan's life.  
Who wouldn't get a little more quiet and thoughtful at such a scarring memory?

As soon, as they made a step through the opening, that marked the main door, the light immediately grew darker with the bright sky no longer above them. 

The place looked exactly how Minho remembered it, dusty shelves, decorated with spiderwebs and the floor covered in a thick layer of dirt and foliage, that had gathered here over the years.  
The stairs, that led into the upper stores, were still intact, but seeing the cracks within the stone, Minho hoped to the heavens it would stay that way, even when they would use the steps later to search the whole building for useful things they could need. 

Chan and the others were waiting for Woojin and him right in the middle of the big entrance hall, standing within a small circle.  
The other pack-members, who hadn't been here before, were turning their heads to look around, Jisung and Changbin's mouths wide open and their jaws slack. 

Especially for Jisung - how Minho assumed - this had to be new and exciting, since in opposite to his friends, the omega had never seen the city before, only knowing the appearance of civilization from the abandoned houses and such the boy had probably come across during his life.

“This asks to get explored!”, Jisung breathed in awe.  
His brown eyes were shining faintly from the rare rays of daylight that found their way inside the building through some broken parts within the walls and old windows, which glass was so dirty that properly looking through them was no longer possible.

Changbin scoffed. 

“This asks for you getting lost during your exploration!”, the short omega commented dryly, earning himself a snicker from Felix. 

Pouting mockingly, Jisung jutted his lower lip out, but Chan only nodded at Changbin's words. 

“He's not wrong, Sungie!”, the leader agreed with his friend, his tone almost a little apologetic. 

Huffing, Jisung crossed his arms, looking like a little toddler who had been refused something he wanted. 

“I'm not you, Channie-hyung!”, the omega mumbled sulkily.  
“Other than you, I DO have a sense of direction, so have some faith in me!” 

His small tantrum-like outbreak was so much like himself, that Minho almost forgot, that only minutes before, the brown-haired boy had stared into space, looking like he had been contemplating the birth of the universe.

“Well, why don't you stay with me then?”, Felix suddenly offered, his deep voice warm.  
“I know my way around here, after all!” 

Immediately, Jisung's pout vanished as if it had never been there, the omega's face lighting up.  
“Deal!”, he grinned, jumping over to the freckled alpha and latching himself onto the boy's arm. 

The intimate interaction surprised Minho a bit.  
Jisung and Felix had gotten pretty close over the last weeks, so much, that the omega had gotten a little more comfortable with skinship if it came to the orange-haired alpha, but this had been in the expanse of putting his head on Felix lap or shoulder and nudging the alpha from time to time.  
Not fully pressing himself against the freckled boy's side. 

Something started twisting within Minho's chest, as if someone was pinching the inside of his heart.  
It wasn't exactly painful, but it surely was uncomfortable and irked Minho, causing his mood to drop slowly. 

He didn't like seeing Felix and Jisung so close, even though he wasn't entirely sure, why.  
After all, it wasn't like Felix would do anything to the omega.  
More likely, the alpha would give his life to protect his friends, and Minho was pretty sure, that the freckled boy counted Jisung as such by now.

“Well, before you all head off, I suggest, we look through the upper store together once, to see if we find anyone else. I don't like getting surprised!”, Woojin suggested, his hand pointing up the stairs. 

Nodding, Chan wrapped his arms around himself. 

“Good idea, after that, we can still form smaller groups to widen our search-field!”, he added before a shudder rocked his body. 

Looking closer, Minho could see the skin of the blond forming goosebumps.  
Which wasn't really surprising, since Chan was only wearing a t-shirt, his sweater currently getting worn by Hyunjin, who, by now, looked pretty guilty, when the tall boy realized, that his leader was freezing.

“Are you okay?”  
Woojin looked concerned and Hyunjin stepped up to Chan from the side, his hand at the hem of his own clothing. 

“We can trade, Hyung!”, he offered silently.  
“You know, I don't get cold that easily!” 

Waving them both off, Chan smiled lightly. 

“Don't worry about me, guys, I'll be fine, as soon as we move again.”  
His voice was steady despite his obvious shudders and Minho really hoped, the blond was right and wouldn't get sick.  
A cold wasn't dangerous in the most cases, but definitely not what they needed at the moment.

“Okay, then let's start!”, Jisung exclaimed, already jumping towards the staircase, Felix right behind him.  
The two boys had ended their close proximity, much to Minho's delight. 

Everyone started heading after them - Minho included - to ascend the steps that led to the first store. 

From experience, Minho knew, that this part of the shopping center held clothes, along with all kinds of other items made of fabrics, such as blankets, sheets, towels, etc. and more than once, he had found something useful here.  
The sweater he was momentarily wearing was one of those things. 

“Sooo, does that mean, you've picked out everything good these last few years, and now there's nothing left for us?”  
Jisung's voice sounded from the front where the omega had already disappeared between two old shelves that looked close to collapsing. 

Chuckling, Woojin pointed at the further back of the store, soft rays of light falling through the equally cracked and dirtied windows up here and making the upper store appear a little less dark. 

“The deeper you head inside, the less likely it is that many people have already been there and gone through the things!”, he advised. 

“Seems legit!”, Changbin murmured from behind Minho, his hand reaching out for Hyunjin, who was silently walking at the short boy's side.  
Grabbing his tall friend by the wrist, Changbin pulled him along, disappearing within some aisle as well, which Minho couldn't really overlook from his point of view. 

Starting to head towards the back of the shop, Minho focused his gaze on Chan's back, who was trailing after Woojin.  
The oldest was talking about the last time, Minho and him had been here, together with Felix and Minho decided to tune out on his friend's words.  
Instead he let his thoughts wander, contemplating, what he should probably search for. 

A thicker sweater wouldn't be bad. Or even a proper pullover with a hood, such as Jeongin possessed.  
The clothing seemed to be considerably warmer during winter, than Minho's long shirts were. 

Or maybe he could even find a warm jacket!

“BOO!” 

Literally getting catapulted out of his thoughts by the sudden yell right next to his ear, Minho let out a not very tough sounding screech, his feet involuntarily yeeting (yes i did, I'm sorry, this is a word now!) him about five feet into the air, before he landed and went right into a defensive stance, facing towards the thing that had almost caused him to have a seizure. 

The thing, on the other hand, looked very amused, and was no other than Jisung, the boy almost rolling within the dust from laughing too hard by now.

“Oh my god, you actually jumped!” 

The omega was wheezing, holding his stomach while tears of joy ran down his cheeks.  
“You almost hit the goddamn ceiling!”

Immediate annoyance rolled over Minho like a crashing wave, his heart still beating vehemently from his previous shock! 

“For fucks sake, Jisung!”, he barked, a low growl within his tone as he raised his arm to point at an opening within the wall of the building, only a few meters away from them.  
“I swear to god, if you do this one more time, I will throw you out that fucking window over there, you... – what are you doing?” 

His voice lost a little of his aggression at the end, as he stared after Jisung, the boy having ran over towards the window himself, only to lean outside and look down. 

“Checking how high the drop is!”, the omega yelled back, sounding a bit muffled, since his head was still outside the building.  
“Seeing, whether it would be worth it to try it one more time!”

A disbelieving snort escaped Minho's nose at the brown-haired boy's words, while simultaneously, Felix, who apparently had observed their whole interaction from the sidelines, started cackling. He crouched down as his laughter forced him to his knees.

“This is not funny!”, Minho hissed, his teeth clenched, as well as his fists. 

Regaining his composure a little, Felix raised a hand.  
“I thought it was!”, he gasped, still fighting for his breath. 

Scoffing, Minho scowled at the freckled alpha. 

“You don't count!”, he retorted with a bark.  
“You started laughing in the middle of a hunt once because you only just got a joke, Seungmin had told you one day prior!”

Jisung, returning from the window, looked at Felix with wide eyes. 

“You went hunting once?”, he asked in disbelief.  
Felix nodded in reply and scrunched his nose up at the memory.

“Never again!”, he grumbled, his disgusted expression even soothing Minho's previous anger and calming the hot blood rushing through his veins.

“No, but seriously,”, Jisung turned back to Minho, his eyes still sparkling in amusement.  
“Sorry for freaking you so much but that was fucking hilarious.” 

Looking directly at the omega's bright grin, Minho could feel the last bits of his annoyance dissolve into thin air, the boy's obvious joy propitiating him for some reason. 

“Whatever, just warn me next time, asshat!”, he grumbled, waving Jisung off, who only snorted at his comment. 

“Guys, can we gather here for a sec, please?”, cut Chan's voice through the shady store, making all three boys look up into the direction of the far back of the room, where it had sounded from. 

“What does he want, now?”, Jisung muttered silently, as he moved further into the store, Minho and Felix right beside him. 

The freckled boy to the omega's left, snorted.  
“Probably check, whether you have gotten yourself into trouble yet!”, he snickered which earned him a light punch against his shoulder from Jisung.

“I am not that bad!”, the omega huffed, his words promptly getting answered by Minho breaking into laughter. 

“Sure, you're not!”, he cackled while deliberately ignoring the brown-haired boy's scowl. 

Turning a corner, they were able to spot the rest of their group standing together while waiting for them. 

“What is it?”, Felix asked, expectantly looking back and forth between Woojin and Chan once they joined the others.  
It surprised Minho, how quickly the freckled alpha seemed to have accepted both boys as his leaders, despite only knowing the latter for about one month.

Chan assured himself that he had everyone's attention, before he rose to speak. 

“Now that we are pretty sure, that no one else is here, it should be fine to look around in smaller groups!”, he stated, his gaze wandering over to Woojin, as if to include the oldest in the decision.  
Said alpha nodded in agreement.

“You can look around wherever you want, as long as you stay in groups of at least two people!”, he added. 

Together, him and Chan sounded a lot like overprotective parents to Minho and he fought hard to suppress his upcoming grin. 

“If you find anything useful, just bring it with you, when we gather in the hall in front of the entrance afterwards.”

Not wasting another second, Jisung and Felix took off running, heading towards the stairs, that led down. 

Sighing, Minho watched, as they disappeared around the corner, Felix almost crashing into the wall in the process of trying to speed past a giggling Jisung.

“Heavens, they are gonna break their necks at some point!”, came Changbin's muttered comment, the short boy slowly starting to head after them.

Chan let out a light laugh. 

“Jisung has survived himself until now, I'm optimistic, that this won't be the day he finally gets himself killed!”, the blond replied after his friend, before turning around and adding: “I'm gonna look for something warmer to wear, don't wait up for me!”  
Then, he dove between two shelves, throwing himself into the search for a proper sweater. 

Rolling his eyes, Woojin followed the other leader. 

“Chan, we JUST said, groups of at least two people!”, he shouted after the boy, before disappearing, too, leaving Minho and Hyunjin behind.

Sighing, Minho looked over to Hyunjin. 

“Shall we go and prevent Jilix from destroying the building?”, he asked resignedly, the tall boy giggling slightly because of his remark.

“Yeah, let's do that! I'd like to return home tonight!”, he replied and Minho smiled at the alpha's choice of words.  
Somehow it made him proud, that the other pack already considered the apartment-tower their home as well. 

Following their friends, they went back to the stairs, descending the steps to the ground floor.  
When they reached there, however, Minho stopped in confusion.  
Wherever he looked, he couldn't catch even a glimpse of the other three boys, the hall appearing completely deserted.

"Where the fuck did they go?”, he mumbled, Hyunjin only shaking his head equally confused.

Focusing on his hearing, Minho tried to detect the others through their noises, his brows furrowing together in concentration.  
He could hear something, a little further away, that sounded like the rattling of a chain, accompanied by muttered words and grunts. 

“What in the name of god are they doing?”, he wondered as Hyunjin threw him a questioning glance.

“Have they already started destroying the building?”, the tall alpha asked sarcastically, his hand brushing his dark bangs out of his eyes.

About to answer, Minho opened his mouth, when suddenly, something crashed loudly right next to them, before Jisung, Changbin and Felix rolled in, supported by two old and rusty carts, that looked like they would break apart any moment now. 

“The fuck?”, was all Minho was able to say, before Felix interrupted him. 

“Look, guys, we found old shopping carts!”, the freckled boy exclaimed happily from his spot behind the cart within which Changbin sat. 

Jisung, leaning over the other cart, gained a little momentum by pushing himself forward with his foot.  
“They still work perfectly!”, he commented, a satisfied expression on his face.

Scoffing, Minho raised one brow.  
“And how are they useful to us?”, he asked dryly, only to get a prompt reply from Jisung.

“Well, we can't take them with us, but maybe we can have fun with them now!”, the omega proposed, spinning around along with the cart.  
It did look like fun, but Minho didn't dare to say that, until he had heard the whole thought, that Jisung was seemingly planning out within his head at the Moment. 

The brown-haired boy was frowning in concentration.  
Then, he rose to speak again. 

“On a scale from one to ten, how bad do you think it would be if...”, he started, only to immediately get interrupted by Hyunjin. 

“At least a twenty!”, the tall alpha chimed in, earning himself a vexed look from Jisung.

“Hush! Would you please let me finish! It's not like someone is going to get hurt!”, he retorted, Hyunjin not looking very convinced.

“Well, at least not purposefully!”, Changbin added a little quieter, yelping, when Felix, who leaned behind him, pinched his arm lightly to shut him up.

Unfazed by everyone's comments, Jisung went on.  
“We could make a shopping-cart-race!”, he suggested in a enthusiastic tone. 

“This screams for something to go wrong!”, Minho instantly objected, already being able to see all the possible outcomes of that idea. 

Jisung plus wheels plus a race meant speed, and the words Jisung and speed were not a very positive combination.

“Oh come on, Minho-hyung!”, Felix whined, rocking the cart with Changbin back and forth a bit in apparent impatience.  
“I know, you'd have fun, too!”

Jisung pulled his lips into a provocative smirk.  
“Or are you scared?”, he asked within a mockingly sultry voice, his brown eyes slightly narrowed and fixated on Minho.

The alpha felt his blood start to boil at the omega's comment. 

“You wish!”, he growled back. 

Jisung grinned in success at his words.

“Then race with me!”, he proposed, already climbing into the cart.  
“Win with me against Lix and Binnie!”

His words ignited a flame within Minho's heart, that shot adrenaline through his veins and made his heart start to dance within his chest.  
He really had no idea, how Jisung did it, but the omega always managed to wake his competitive side. 

And now, he really wanted to do this race.  
More, he really wanted to win it.  
Nothing else, he just had to win!

“Fine, better hold on tight!”, he replied, moving forward to step behind Jisung's cart and grab the handle.  
“Because you're in for a fucking hell-ride towards victory!”

“Yah, who said, you're gonna win!”, Changbin cut in, leaning back within his own cart.  
“Lix and I are gonna nail this!” 

Felix grinned before letting his voice drop a bit to sound even deeper.  
“We're gonna make you guys eat our dust!”

Cackling, Jisung pointed his thumb at Minho.  
“In your dreams, boys!”, he replied confidently.  
“We are the best team here after all!”

Bowing down, Minho leaned his head beside the omega's, careful to leave the boy enough space, in case he got uncomfortable.  
“We are?”, he asked in mock disbelieve, giving the cart an abrupt push to rob Jisung of his balance, the omega falling against the wall of the cart with a grunt. 

“Stop it, I'm bluffing here, and you are not helping!”, the brown-haired boy snapped at Minho, who only snickered viciously in return. 

“Okay, one rule!”, Jisung added, turning back towards Felix and Changbin.  
“The one who pushes the cart, is not allowed to let go of the handle!”

Snorting, Minho threw the omega a smug look. 

“Scared I might plant your ass somewhere?”, he asked in amusement, Jisung returning his gaze suspiciously.

“Well, I'm at least certain enough that you wouldn't NOT do it!”, he countered dryly, his eyes narrowing slightly.  
“Not taking any chances here!”

“Guess that makes me the umpire!” 

Hyunjin's voice startled Minho lightly, having almost forgotten about the tall boy's existence. 

“But we still need a speedway for our race!”

Snapping his fingers, Felix beamed at everyone. 

“We can use the long hallway in the back of this floor!”, he offered, his hand pointing at the right wing of the building.  
“It should work perfectly for us!”

Remembering, what part of the complex the freckled alpha was talking about, Minho nodded. 

“Good thinking!”, he praised, swirling his cart, including Jisung, around to head down the right, looking from the entrance.  
The faint scraping of the wheels of the carts told him, that Felix was following him. 

One turn later, the corridor lay before them, long, straight and almost perfect for a race. The stony floor was gray from dust and dirt, but no big obstacles barred the way.  
The path was being lighted by the many windows, that decorated the wall to their right, again most of them missing their glass and curious plants were poking their leaves inside through the openings.

“This should work!” 

Hyunjin had stepped beside Minho, examining the hallway with slightly narrowed eyes, the mole under his lashes scrunching up in the process.  
“But we do need to set a finish line!”

Deliberately, Minho motioned for the tall alpha to go ahead. 

“You're the umpire!”, he reminded.  
“Feel free to decide one!”

Seeming a little surprised, Hyunjin threw him a short look but when Jisung nodded as well, he started to stride down the hallway, falling into a jog after a few meters.  
His long legs carried him forward quickly, until he was about fifty meters away from them.  
Turning around, the pretty boy shrugged. 

“Guess we'll have to end it here, otherwise you won't have enough time to brake before the turn at the end!”, he explained, his finger pointing at the wall, that ended the hallway a little further behind him.

Frowning, Felix appeared beside Minho and Jisung, his arm leaned onto the handle of his cart with Changbin inside. 

“That's a little short, don't you think?”, he threw in for consideration.  
“We'll reach the end before we really gained momentum!”

Biting his lip, Minho had to admit, that the freckled boy had a point.  
It wouldn't really be fun that way. 

Suddenly, Jisung chimed up from in front of him. 

“What if we decide for two finishing lines!”, the omega proposed, earning himself confused glances, not only from Minho.

“What do you mean?”, Felix asked, his brows furrowed slightly. 

Turning around within his cart, Jisung fixated all of them.  
Well, except for Hyunjin, of course, who was still standing within the far back of the hallway.

“We could set the first finish line, where Jinnie's standing. Up til there, we are allowed to speed up as much as we can.” 

His right hand drew an imaginary line into the air, while his other imitated a racing cart. 

“After we have crossed that line, the one pushing the cart is not allowed to touch the floor anymore, having to keep his feet of the ground, until we've reached the second finish line. Whoever manages to cross the second one first, wins!”

Contemplating the younger's words, Minho began chewing on his bottom lip. 

“That could actually work!”, he agreed, ignoring the way Jisung's eyes lit up at his support.  
“That way, we won't be too fast at the end and don't have to use too much effort to brake the carts down again!”

Nodding, Felix pushed himself up from his comfortable position, his hands grabbing the handle of his cart tightly.  
“Then it's settled!”, the orange-head grinned.  
“Hyunjin, did you hear that?”

Even from his spot, far away from the tall boy, Minho could hear the alpha scoff. 

“I might not have Minho-hyung's abilities but that doesn't mean, I'm deaf!” 

He took his hairband, that he used to carry wrapped around his wrist, off his arm and tied it into his hair to keep his fringe out of his eyes, before he added: “I'm gonna stand here, right in the middle of your racing-aisles. You are not allowed to change your sides and if one of you even so much as crazes me, I'm not only gonna disqualify you but also myself for beating your asses!”

The vehement words were pretty unusual for the normally soft alpha and Minho raised one eyebrow in surprise at hearing such statement from the tall boy. 

“Someone's vivacious today!”, he muttered under his breath, while the pretty alpha started drawing the first line into the dusty ground with the tip of his shoe, but apparently, Jisung heard him nonetheless, because the omega turned around to him with a smile.

“Jinnie only gets verbal, when he feels comfortable around others, so feel honored!”, he whispered, probably trying to keep his tall friend from hearing his words.

It might have been ridiculous, but Minho actually did feel a little proud at hearing this from the brown-haired boy.  
If Hyunjin felt comfortable around him, that meant, the alpha somehow trusted him and for Minho, who had felt the urge to protect the pretty boy ever since the first day, they had met - quite literally - this meant a lot!

“Are you ready?”  
Hyunjin sounded louder than Minho was used to, but it made him happy to know, the alpha was finally coming out of his shell.  
By now, the tall alpha had come back from the end of the room, where he had drawn a second line into the soil, marking the final finish line.

“All set, captain, give us the signal!”, Felix yelled back, his voice purposefully high-pitched to make Jisung and Changbin laugh.  
Even Minho couldn't suppress a chuckle.

“Okay, on your marks!” 

Raising his arms over his head, Hyunjin positioned himself right in the middle of the hallway. 

Wrapping his hands around the handle of the cart tightly, Minho ducked a little, falling into a starting position.  
Felix beside him did the same. 

“May the fastest racer win!”, the freckled alpha grinned at Minho while Changbin and Jisung shared heated glances from their spots within their respective carts.

“Ready!”, Hyunjin yelled. 

Jisung dug his fingers into the walls of the cart to be able to hold his balance. 

“Let's win this!”, he exclaimed over his shoulder towards Minho, the alpha nodding determinedly.

“Set!”

Tensing up his muscles, Minho felt his heart picking up it's pace in fiery excitement.  
He hadn't really participated in a race since a while ago, even though actually, he loved the thrill of competition.  
It made him faster, more eager to expand his own limits.

“GO!” 

The clap of his hands and the tall alpha's voice echoed back from the narrow walls of the hallway, vibrating through Minho's bones, as he sprinted forward, his hands pushing the cart with Jisung in it. 

The first meter was a little slow for his taste, but even just one step later, they had picked up momentum and were dashing towards Hyunjin's form with thundering steps.

Next to them, Minho could hear Felix and Changbin, the shorter making cheering noises, but all Minho himself could really focus on, were the first finish line at Hyunjin's spot and Jisung's head right in front of him. 

The omega's hair was floofing up because of the air-stream and Minho could hear his excited yells, as they came closer and closer towards the tall alpha.

Hot fire rushed through Minho's veins, and he accelerated his tempo even more.  
When they were about one meter away from the first finish line, he launched himself off the ground and threw himself against the cart with all his might, giving it the most powerful push he could manage, before he held his feet up to not touch the ground anymore. 

They sped past Hyunjin, luckily not coming in contact with the alpha, before they glided towards the second finish line at the end of the hallway.  
The further they rolled, the slower their pace got. Minho noticed Felix right next to him, the freckled alpha being within a similar position as himself, torso leaned over the cart's handle and feet held up.

Side to side, they slid over the second finish line and Minho immediately dug his heels into the stony ground to prevent his cart from crashing into the nearby wall.  
His chest was heaving from the short sprint, but only a few seconds later, his breath evened out again. 

“Who won?”, Felix yelled back towards Hyunjin, having stopped right beside Minho and Jisung.

Striding towards them with long steps, Hyunjin shrugged.  
“If you ask me, you guys tied!”, he answered, making Minho and Felix scoff in disbelief.

“No way, I bet we were at least a little bit faster!”, Jisung exclaimed, only to get answered by Changbin letting out a snort. 

“Certainly not, that was us!”, the short omega replied, Felix nodding along with him.

Silencing them all, Hyunjin waved his hands above his head. 

“Guys, believe me!”, he said insistently.  
“The wheels of your carts crossed the second line at the exact same time!”

Huffing, Jisung scrambled to his feet, still within the cart, making Minho hold on to the handle even tighter in fear the omega might loose his balance due to the cart rolling sideways or making any other unforeseen movement.

“Fine, let's have a rematch!”, Jisung proposed, before a grin spread on his face.  
“But this time,”, he turned towards Minho. “let's switch positions!”. 

His last words were only directed at the dark-haired alpha, the omega's eyes sparkling competitively. 

Raising one brow, Minho cocked his head to the side.  
“You really think, you're faster than me?”, he asked.  
Not that he doubted that fact. Jisung was certainly the faster runner of them two.

“I think, you and I are pretty similar in strength and speed, that's why I wanna try winning this race, too!”, the omega replied determinedly, his eagerness making Minho smile.

“Alright!”, he agreed, reaching one arm up to the omega to help him out of the cart.  
A satisfied feeling spread within his stomach, when Jisung actually grabbed his hand as a supporter to not fall as he jumped down.

Climbing into the now free space, Minho lowered himself onto the lattice-like metal that formed the bottom of the cart.  
Immediately, the structure dug into his butt, making him hiss slightly.

“Ouch, this is seriously uncomfortable, how did you manage to sit in here?”, he whined, turning back towards Jisung, who was currently starting to move the cart around, pushing it back towards the starting line after Felix and Changbin, who had already set off while quietly talking to each other.

Grinning, Jisung picked up his pace a bit. 

“Stop whining, hyung, just sit on your feet or something!”, he teased, Minho letting out a grumble before he adjusted his position a bit. 

Hyunjin had already returned to his previous spot, renewing the drawn line on the floor.  
Straightening his posture again, he waited for Jisung and Felix to reach the start and position themselves lined up next to each other, before he raised his hands again. 

“Ready?”, he yelled yet again.

Turning towards Jisung once more, Minho pointed one finger at him threateningly. 

“You better brake in time!”, he ordered sternly, to which the omega sent him an offended look.

“I trusted you, Minho, so put some faith in me as well!”, the brown-haired boy replied in a serious tone, forcing Minho toadmit, that he had a point. 

“Fine, don't make me regret it!”, he grumbled, facing back forward.  
From beside him, Changbin stretched his fist in Minho's direction, grinning at the alpha. 

“Welcome to my position!”, he mocked the older.  
Minho snorted but returned the fist-bump nonetheless.  
Somehow, he felt way less uncomfortable, than he had assumed he would.

“On your marks! Get set!”, Hyunjin shouted from the front, and Minho could literally smell Jisung's growing excitement within the air, as the omega's scent started to waver around him like a fresh gush of wind. 

Inhaling deeply, Minho drew in the boy's odor. 

Weird. Only one month prior, he had really despised Jisung's scent.  
Now he actually couldn't quite understand why, even enjoying a bit, how his and the omega's smell mixed, creating something new that gave him the feeling of family.

“Hold on tight, cause we are about to take off!”, Jisung exclaimed from behind him and Minho was able to tell of the younger's smirk just by the tone of his voice.  
Following the boy's suggestion, he wrapped his fingers around the cart' sidewalls.

“GO!”, Hyunjin gave the signal again, and before Minho could even realize, what was happening, the cart jolted forward, the abrupt momentum almost making him tumble backwards. 

Now, that he wasn't the one running, he could focus on everything else he hadn't been able to before.  
The scraping of the wheels of the two rusty carts, the heavy footsteps of Felix and Jisung and the rapid panting of the young omega, although Minho assumed, that it was more out of excitement, than from actual exhaustion.

Just a few seconds later, they were already flying past Hyunjin. 

Minho sucked in a sharp breath, when their cart almost collided with the Alpha, but Jisung adjusted their curse in the last moment, so that they barely scrapped past the tall boy's form, only a whisker away from having gotten their asses kicked by Hyunjin afterwards.

The thundering from Jisung's and Felix's steps faded away as they both passed the first line and the two boys held their feet up, Jisung almost throwing his entire body over the handle of the cart in the process.

Then, they finally glided over the finish line, and Minho got rocked forward, when Jisung brought the cart to a abrupt stop, Felix right behind him.  
Both boys were panting, but Jisung's lips immediately curled into a smile, as Minho turned around. 

“Victory is ours!”, he cheered, holding his hand up for Minho to highfive it.  
The clap sounded satisfying to the alpha, and he threw Felix a triumphing glance, the freckled boy only sticking his tongue out at him in mock annoyance.

“Again!”, Changbin exclaimed, scrambling to his feet and pushing himself out of the cart.  
“But this time, I wanna push, too!”

“How about me and Minho against you and Jisung!”, Felix suggested, words directed at the short omega, who nodded in agreement.

“Sounds good to me!”, Jisung replied as well, before jumping over to Changbin and fist-bumping the older with a wide grin.

Felix looked at Minho.  
“You wanna push or stay in your cart?”, the freckled boy asked with a smirk.  
Minho made a waving gesture with his hand.

“You're the faster runner of us two, so let's keep our positions!”, he answered, before jokingly adding: “Besides, I think, I'm stuck anyways!” 

His comment earned himself a few snorts and snickers.

“Jinnie, would you host another round?”, Jisung shouted towards the alpha who was still waiting for them at the first line. 

“Sure, just get moving, I'm getting bored over here!”, Hyunjin gave back. 

“And, Jisung! If it's this close to you mowing me down again, I'll make you be umpire next round!” 

The tall boy's voice dropped a little before he added: “And I'll be the one pushing a cart!”

Literally hearing Jisung gulp, Minho cackled quietly. 

“No dead bodies today!”, he yelled, as Felix turned his cart to push him back towards the starting line. 

The suddenly grave looks, Changbin and Jisung shared behind his back, he didn't notice anymore.  
__________

Chan had wrapped a new hoodie he had found, around his hips, and was currently searching for another blanket, when suddenly, a shudder rocked his body again, the blond looking up. 

Woojin, who was striving through the aisles a few meters away from him, turned his head at the sudden movement, an alerted expression on his face.

“Everything okay?”, the oldest asked, voice slightly lowered, so as if he was expecting someone else around. 

Shaking his head, Chan only pointed towards the direction of the staircase. 

“I think we should check on Jisung and Felix!”, he simply muttered, his eyes narrowed a bit.  
“I have a bad feeling about how calm it is!”

Chuckling, Woojin walked towards him.  
“Don't you think, you're being a little overprotective over them?”, he asked in amusement, only to earn himself a judging look from Chan, the blond raising his left eyebrow at the other leader.

“Have you seen them unsupervised?”, Chan gave back, tone dry and mocking.

Woojin smacked his lips. 

“Touché!”, the oldest answered before laughing lightly.  
“Alright, let's go check on them!”

Nodding, Chan followed the other leader towards the staircase.  
Like a sixth sense, something was telling him, that Jisung was currently coming up with a very bad idea, something he had learned to sense by spending five years with the omega.

And his presentiments were almost never wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For everyone who cares: the shopping-cart-race is inspired by one of their Videos. I'm not sure, which one it is right now, but i can tell you the FMV i watched on YouTube to get the Inspiration from.
> 
> One example would be "TOUCH. straykids (fmv)" by 'BANGFEATHERS' (they really make good Videos, ya'll!)  
> Anyways, in that Video there is a short Scene with how i imagined the race, even though there it's jeongin, who is pushing one of the carts.  
> The source-video was an advertisement led by straykids, i think, but im not too sure, sorry!:0
> 
> Also, the next chapter will include a lot of fun stuff as well because i just love Jilix doing shit together!;)  
> but i promise, afterwards we'll get right back to the main plot!
> 
> And finally: i'll post some new chapters for my second book as well, including Seungmin's and Woojin's past, so if any of you are interested, feel free to check it out;) (#noadvertisingonthisblog)
> 
> See you in a few days and i hope you enjoy this!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soft Woochan hours; Channie-appreciation hours and a Little bit of angst;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luckily for me, today my Computer loved me and it only took an hour to update this chapter;)
> 
> It is inspired (partly) by the "I Am YOU"-Music Video-Making film, so yeah, dunno if you have watched that!
> 
> Anyways, I hope, you all enjoy it!

Sighing, Felix drew some meaningless patterns into the dust on one of the shelves beside him. 

Unfortunately, their racing hadn't lasted for too long, because as soon as Jisung had suggested to try it while standing up within the carts, Woojin and Chan had suddenly bolted into the room and broken up their whole activity.  
The blond leader had scolded Jisung thoroughly for his reckless behavior, the omega muttering his apologies in return, but if Felix was honest, he was pretty sure, his friend wasn't sorry in the slightest.

Now, Minho and Hyunjin had gone with the two eldest to look for supplies they could take back with them later, while Jisung, Changbin and him were aimlessly striving through the shopping center, searching for something that could provide a little more thrill, than doing nothing.

“Lix!” 

The sudden voice echoed through the old hall, that was packed wit shelves and other clutter, calling Felix into the nearby aisle, within which Jisung had been scavenging.  
Hurrying to reach his friend, the alpha turned a corner, only to see Changbin already standing beside Jisung.

The omega was holding something up, an excited grin on his face, that surely would have chased a shudder down Chan's spine, if the blond leader had seen it.  
Which he didn't, fortunately!

“Look at what I've found!” 

Jisung's voice was lowered a bit, so as if he, too, feared for his older pack-mate to crash through a nearby wall any second now to rob him of his newfound interest.  
Looking properly at what the omega was holding up, a smirk spread on Felix face as well. 

“Cool, a skateboard!”, he exclaimed, only to be shushed by Jisung and Changbin simultaneously.

“Don't say that word too loudly!”, Changbin whispered.  
“Chan absolutely loves skateboards and if he hears us, we can kiss the thing goodbye!”

Discovering something at the bottom of the shelf they were standing next to, Felix waved the short omega off. 

“Wouldn't matter!”, he replied happily while ducking to pull the box out, that had caught his eye.  
It was filled with at least ten different boards, all neatly stocked, even after all these years.  
Carefully, he grabbed one and handed it to a surprised Changbin. 

“Guess they were selling these here before the war!”, Felix grinned, before getting himself one as well.

“We gotta try them somewhere!”, Changbin demanded, now beaming with excitement as well.  
“Let's go back to that hallway!”

Felix was about to agree, but Jisung only shook his head. 

“Look at the wheels!”, the omega responded quietly.  
“They would get stuck on the uneven floor. We need something with a soil that's more smooth!”

Inspecting his board's tiny wheels, Felix had to agree. The hallway with it's littered ground would never work in this case. 

“So where can we go instead?”, he asked a little clueless.  
The forest was out of the question and so was the field in front of the shopping center.  
They'd needed something like concrete, a street or...

Jisung seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because the omega nodded at him. 

“I noticed something, back when we first reached here!”, he admitted.  
His gaze wandered to one of the windows of the room, that faced north.

Raising his brows, Changbin expectantly looked at the younger. 

“And that would be?”, he asked suspiciously, apparently unsure, whether he should fear his dongsaeng's upcoming suggestion or not.

Motioning for Felix and Changbin to follow him, Jisung wordlessly walked over to the window where he used his sleeve and hand to rub the dirty glass clean enough for them to peak through it.  
His hands took on a dusty gray color, as well as his clothes, but the omega ignored it, only wiping his palm off on his pants.

“There!” 

Pointing out the window, Jisung turned back to them with big eyes.  
Curious, Felix stepped a little closer to be able to look over Changbin, who was standing in front of him, trying to detect, what his friend was trying to show them. 

“Oh, Jisung, no!”, was all the short omega breathed out, when both, him and Felix finally recognized the tall structure that towered outside, looking almost black against the bright sky.

Grinning, Jisung lowered his arm slowly, his other hand grabbing his skateboard tighter. 

“Oh, Jisung yes!”, he retorted, before turning around to head towards the exit. 

Jaw slack, Felix stared after the disappearing omega. 

“Is he serious?”, he asked, words directed at Changbin, who was still standing beside him.  
Burying his face in his hand shortly, the buff boy heaved a sigh. 

“Unfortunately,”, he replied slowly. “yes, he is!”

Contemplatively, Felix looked down at his own skateboard.  
He had to admit, Jisung's plan was seductive. The highway the omega planned on using as a place to test his board would definitely provide the needed concrete, that was for sure. 

Slowly but carefully, the freckled alpha felt his own heart pick up its pace, filling with excitement.  
Maybe, this was the thrilling distraction he had been hoping for before!

Hosting his skateboard up to balance it on his shoulder, Felix nodded in determination. 

“Alright, let's go then!”, he exclaimed, starting after Jisung.

“Wait, are YOU serious?”, Changbin yelled after him, his voice sounding disbelieving.

Looking back over his shoulder, Felix grinned. 

“He ain't gonna have fun without me!”, he answered the older, before maneuvering through the shelves towards the exit of the room.  
“Not on my watch at least!”

Ad on his face, when he heard Changbin's muttered curses and shuffling, as the short omega followed him as well.  
_____

“I have a concern!” 

Changbin's voice sounded slightly thinner, now that it didn't get thrown back from the walls of the shopping center anymore.  
The short omega, Jisung and Felix himself were standing outside, in front of the huge pillars, that carried the old Highway which was winding it's way through the landscape about fifteen meters above the ground. 

Felix assumed, that it had been build that way to save space or to reduce the noise of the passing cars, but he wasn't too sure.  
It wasn't like he had ever really seen too many functioning vehicles at once. 

Jisung was determined to test his skateboard up there, which wouldn't have been a problem, except for one tiny little aspect.  
They had to get up onto the highway somehow, and the only way to do that, was over a rusty looking ladder, that had been build at the side of one of the stony pillars.  
What purpose it had had once, Felix had no idea. 

He was pretty sure though, that back before the war, not a single person would have climbed up a highway voluntarily!

“Really? Just one?” 

Smirking, Jisung crouched down before stripping himself of his still empty backpack, pulling it's old zipper open to try and cram his board into the definitely much smaller space within the bag. 

Changbin looked a little piqued at the younger's question but answered nonetheless. 

“No, but I didn't think you'd let be speak my piece, if I told you, how many I actually have!”, he countered discontentedly. 

Giggling, Jisung zipped his bag back up again, one half of the board still sticking out from it. 

“Oh come on, what's the worst, that could happen?”, he asked, not sounding the slightest bit wary about his plan, as he swung his backpack back over his shoulder.

“We could die?”, Changbin commented dryly, but his words got ignored by both, Jisung and Felix, to equal parts. 

Shuddering, Felix shook his head. 

“Or worse!”, he added.  
“We could get another lecture on responsibility from Chan and Woojin!”

His statement earned him an exasperated gaze from Changbin, filled with utter disbelief. 

“You guys really need to get your priorities right!”, the short omega muttered lowly.  
Jisung and Felix only laughed in response.

“Alright, imma go first, you guys can follow, if you want!”, Jisung announced while pulling the straps of his bag a little tighter. Then he stepped forward to grab the ladder with both Hands and put his right foot on one of the rundles. 

Nodding, Felix started stuffing his board into his backpack as well.  
From the corner of his eye, he could see Changbin do the same, despite the short omega looking a lot less excited, than Felix himself felt.

As soon, as both of them were ready - Jisung, who had been waiting until now - started climbing up the ladder, careful not to accidentally step onto a rundle that was already rusty.  
That way, he worked himself up towards the highway, bit by bit.

Still on the ground, Changbin looked up indecisively, seemingly intimidated by the eight of the structure. Considering his size, it probably looked even more threatening, but Felix was careful not to say that out loud.  
Instead, he nudged the omega softly, beaming at him when the Boy looked up.

“You can go first, if you want to! I'll be right behind you!”, Felix offered. 

Changbin only nodded in reply before walking up to the ladder as well and starting to climb after Jisung.

Quickly following suit, Felix stayed right behind Changbin.  
The weight of the board within his backpack swayed a little with every step he pushed himself up higher, and its edge dug into his left shoulder blade uncomfortably, but nonetheless, he felt the adrenaline rush through his veins like fluid flames, making his insides jump and squirm in delight. 

This was gonna be fun, he could feel it within his prickling fingertips!

In that exact moment, Jisung let out a surprised yelp from above Felix, only seconds before one especially rusty looking piece of metal flew past the freckled boy's face, missing it only by a few centimeters. 

It looked suspiciously like one of the rundles that were currently preventing them from a several-feet-fall.  
Felix threw a mildly concerned glance upwards Jisung. 

The omega was busy pulling himself up again.

“Ji, are you okay?”, he yelled up, raising his voice to get through to the boy. 

Jisung only answered him with a quick thumbs-up signal, before he continued his climb, carefully crossing the now empty hole within the ladder.

Right above him, Felix could see Changbin shudder. 

“You okay, too, Hyung?”, he asked, words directed at the buff boy. 

Changbin visibly tightened his hold onto the ladder. 

“If we die, I'm going to spent the rest of our afterlife reminding you two, that this was all your fault!”, he snapped in a tense tone before starting to move again, his small hands testing every rundle thoroughly, before he used it to pull himself up further. 

Snickering, Felix made a quick movement with his head to get his bangs out of his eyes. 

“That's cool!”, he answered nonchalantly, following the older again.  
“I wouldn‘t mind your company after death!”. 

His words only gained him a sarcastic snort as an answer.  
__________

“Where the fuck are they?” 

Woojin almost flinched at those vehement words.  
He turned around to Chan, who, by now, looked ready to burn the whole shopping center to the ground in order to find Jisung, Changbin and Felix. 

They had been busy looking around, together with Minho and Hyunjin, when suddenly, the Chan's 'Jisung-sense' had kicked in again.  
But even now - after ten minutes of searching - they still hadn't found the three crackheads and Chan apparently was starting to panic a little. 

Not that Woojin blamed him.  
The fact, that Jisung and Felix went missing together, was everything but soothing.

“Seriously, we should microchip them, or something!”, Hyunjin muttered.  
Even the usually kind alpha seemed exasperated by now. 

Looking a little confused, Minho turned around to the tall boy. 

“Microchip?”, he asked, sounding clueless.  
“What's that?”

Woojin himself wasn't entirely sure.  
He was certain, Seungmin had told him something about that topic once, but he wouldn't be able to explain the word. 

Luckily, Hyunjin apparently was.

“Before the war, some people used tiny little pieces of metal, that they implanted within the skin of their pets, like dogs or cats, to be able to find them, if they would ever run away. Those so called 'microchips' could be tracked down via something, called computer, and that way, the people could always find their pets again, no matter where they were!” 

Inhaling deeply, the tall alpha ended his talk, which was probably the longest he had ever spoken in one piece.  
Genuinely surprised, Woojin raised his brows. 

“How come, you know so much on the matter?”, he asked Hyunjin, who actually blushed a little at the older's words, immediately back to his shy self. 

“We used to wander a lot during our earlier days!”, he admitted, a quick side-glance thrown at Chan.  
When the leader didn't do anything to interrupt the him, he continued: “We met a lot of different people back then, who told us a lot about the earth and the life here before the great war. That's how I learned a lot!”

His confession flashed Woojin a bit.  
They had been traveling? But he had thought, they had lived here for the past few years!

Somehow, whenever he tried to form a picture of the other pack, they said something to overthrow his theories once again!

“Look, guys, can we maybe talk about our past later?” 

Woojin had the feeling, that Chan always interrupted them, whenever he came too close to some information about the other pack's backstory, but looking at the nearly desperate expression of the blond, Woojin assumed, that this time, the leader really hadn't done it on purpose.

Saving any possible comment for later, Woojin started striving through the shelves again, trying to pick up a whiff of the three missing boy's scents.  
Minho and Hyunjin, the two with the most sensitive senses of smell, followed suit. 

Suddenly, Hyunjin, who had been walking past one of the broken windows, halted his steps and looked out the opening.  
Squinting a bit, the alpha stared at something in the distance, before he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Guys?”, he called out carefully.  
“I think I found them?”

The angle, with which the tall boy's head was tilted upwards, was enough to let Woojin know, that Jisung and Felix were probably doing something really stupid again. 

Apparently, Minho had come to the same conclusion, because the dark-haired alpha rapidly shook his head.

“Nope! Uh-uh! I am not gonna look out that window!”, he objected, crossing his arms in front of his chest insistently.  
“If I didn't see, what they were doing, they didn't die on my watch, it's as simple as that!”

Rolling his eyes, Woojin stepped up to Hyunjin and Chan, the latter having already leaped towards the opening as soon as the taller boy had called out to them. 

The oldest let his gaze wander a bit over the field outside, until he finally discovered the three black figures, that were currently in the process of climbing up the pillar to the highway not too far away from the shopping center.

Groaning, Chan let his head fall backwards, his blond locks crazing Woojin's chin in the process and the oldest got a whiff of the blond's calming scent.  
He almost sighed, as he inhaled it.  
Even in frustration and nervousness, the other leader still smelled... relaxing.  
It was truly weird. 

Normally, an alpha's scent quickly got sharper, as soon as encountered with stress, especially if the matter concerned said alpha's pack.  


“Are those...skateboards?”, Hyunjin asked in that moment, still staring out the window. 

Immediately, Chan's head whipped back up. 

“Skateboards?”, he repeated, sounding a bit disbelieving, but when Woojin, too, took a closer look, he had to admit, that the tall alpha had been right. 

On their backs, stuffed into their backpacks, the three boys were carrying something that looked like a skateboard, each. 

And that was, when Woojin got, what they were trying to do.

“Are they serious?”, he breathed incredulously, taking a step back from the window. 

Minho, who had been standing behind them all the time, facepalmed. 

“Are they ever not?”, he retorted dryly in Woojin's direction, the older only heaving a sigh. 

Turning around, Chan headed straight for the exit, his pace quick and determined. 

“I'm gonna go after those idiots!”, he replied over his shoulder before disappearing out the room, Hyunjin following him quickly.

Shrugging, Woojin looked over to Minho. 

“Let's better come along!”, he suggested resignedly.  
“One of those said idiots is ours after all!” 

Grumbling, Minho walked over to him. 

“Let's put him up for adoption!”, the alpha mumbled, but headed past Woojin nonetheless, the older only chuckling at the younger's words.

“You would miss him!”, he simply stated, catching up to his friend.  
Sighing Minho let his shoulders sag. 

“I would miss him!”, he repeated ruefully.  
_____

The pillars of the highway loomed over them like giant monsters, as they finally reached the ladder.  
Warily, Woojin peaked towards the top, where Jisung, Changbin and Felix had disappeared at. 

Although he wasn't afraid of heights, Woojin wasn't entirely sure, whether he wanted to climb up there. 

He had been higher up in the past, even their apartment-tower probably measuring a few more meters but climbing a rusty old ladder was something entirely different from walking up a solid staircase made of stone!

The look of horror was evident on Minho's face, as the alpha stared up the highway as well, eyes widened in fear.  
Shuffling over to Woojin, the dark-haired boy lowered his voice a little. 

“No way, I'm doing that!”, he whispered vehemently, sounding petrified.  
“Not in a thousand years!”

Soothingly, Woojin patted his friend's back. 

“Don't worry, no one will force you to!”, he assured just as quietly, careful not to let Chan hear them, who was standing a few steps ahead. 

Hyunjin had excused himself one minute prior, to disappear into the bushes and look for something to drink, that wasn't polluted.  
The trickle of water they had seen on the south side of the shopping center, hadn't looked very inviting.

“I'm going up!” 

Chan sounded determined and not the slightest bit scared, while Woojin almost choked on his own spit.  
Coughing lightly, he turned to the blond in disbelief. 

“Chan, do you really think, you should do that just yet!”, he asked worriedly, thinking about the boy's injury, but the leader only waved him off nonchalantly. 

“The scar feels resilient and even survived my sprint from before, so I guess it should be fine!”, he replied before grabbing the ladder and starting to climb up without another word.

“You guess?”, Woojin called after him with doubt, but Chan was already pretty high up, swift movements bringing him further into the air meter for meter.

Nervously biting his lower lip, Woojin stared after him, his eyes not leaving the blond's seemingly shrinking form.

“Jesus, Woo, Chan's a very capable alpha and pack-leader! Aren't you worrying a little too much?”, Minho questioned from beside him, calm again, now that he was sure that he didn't have to climb the highway as well.

Not budging from his spot, Woojin huffed. 

“Well, the first time, we met said capable alpha and pack-leader, he had his whole stomach ripped open!”, he countered while carding a hand through his hair to keep his line of vision unblocked so his gaze could continue to follow Chan.

Shaking his head, Minho shuffled a little on his spot. 

“Oh come on!”, he defended the blond boy.  
“I'm pretty sure, that wasn't intentional!” 

Finally ripping his stare away from the other leader's back, Woojin threw Minho a glare. 

“Oh, so you think, he'd intentionally throw himself off this ladder!”, he retorted dryly, finger pointing up the pillars towards Chan, who, by now, had almost reached the top. 

This time, his words effectively shut Minho up.  
Apparently, even his witty friend wasn't sure of how to reply to Woojin's argument.

One last step, then Chan finally arrived on the highway, waving down one last time, before he disappeared from Woojin and Minho's line of vision. 

Sighing in relief, that the blond had at least survived the way up, Woojin let his shoulders sag.  
Down would be a concern he would bother to worry about when the time came!

They waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened, no head - or possible other body-part - appearing back on the ladder, and Woojin was starting to fidget on his spot again, throwing concerned glances up the highway from time to time.  
He could hear Minho's resigned sigh, but apparently, his friend deemed it better to remain silent for now. 

They both knew, that worried Woojin wasn't the most polite one.

Sudden steps sounding from right behind them, startled Woojin a bit, but it was only Hyunjin, who was striding over the field towards them to come to a halt right next to Minho.

“What's going on?”, the tall boy asked, eyes clueless, as he didn't seem to understand the tense atmosphere. 

Forcing himself to relax a bit, Woojin stopped his impatient movements.  
He was really proud, that Hyunjin didn't seem to mind to be here with him and Minho alone, even though they were all alphas, plus Minho and him being older and possibly stronger than the pretty alpha.  
It was a slowly built trust he didn't want to ruin again.

“Chan climbed up and hasn't come back until now, so Woojin's a little worried!”, Minho answered in the oldest's place. 

Woojin expected for Hyunjin to sport a concerned look as well, or to at least to have a neutral expression on his face, but instead, the tall boy let out a giggle. 

“You let Channie-hyung go up alone?”, he asked, not sounding the slightest bit anxious.  
When Woojin nodded confusedly, the tall alpha grinned in understanding.

“Okay, that could take a while then! Better sit down and get comfortable!”, he answered before lowering himself to the ground. 

Staring at the tall boy in disbelief, Woojin cocked his head to the side.

“Why would that take a while?”, he asked, not understanding the situation.  
“I don't get it!”

Giggling again, Hyunjin leaned back onto his Hands to extend his long legs. 

“Chan might be a pack-leader, but he's only 20, too!”, he explained calmly.  
“And normally, he's one of the biggest crackheads I've ever known. To top it off, he absolutely loves skateboards, since he used to have one back in the city, so I'm pretty sure, he simply joined in or something. No need to overthink his absence too much!”

Woojin felt his jaw go slack once again at the younger's words. 

“Joined in?”, he repeated, not being able to belief, what Hyunjin had just said. 

Chan, was supposed to be up there – skateboarding? 

The calm and collected leader he had come to know, the Chan, who based almost all his decisions on rational thinking? 

“Sure, if you want to, you can go and see for yourself!”, Hyunjin replied nonchalantly.  
“I'll stay here with Minho-hyung!”

A part of Woojin was still intimidated by the ladder's height, but his curiosity won the upper hand, and he nodded.

“All right, I think, I really need to see this!”, he mumbled, pulling himself together and walking up to the pillar.  
“Wish me luck!”

“Don't break your neck!”, Minho called after him mockingly, as Woojin started climbing, but the oldest could hear the genuine concern within his friend's voice, telling him to be careful.

“I won't, promise!”, he yelled back over his shoulder before focusing back on the rundles in front of him.  
Hopefully they would be able to carry his weight.

His worry seemed to be unjustified, as not even a single one gave in beneath his feet, but nonetheless, Woojin didn't dare to look down, afraid that he would freeze on the spot and spend the rest of his life on this ladder.

At one point, he had to pass a wider opening, where once had been one more rundle and the freshly broken ends told him stories of how the hole had gotten there, that he'd rather not come to know.  
Other than that however, his climb was comparably peaceful, only accompanied by his own rapid breathing, which resulted rather from the adrenaline within his veins, than the exhaustion of the labor.

Finally reaching the last rundles, Woojin pulled himself up fully, crawling on his knees a few meters, until he was far enough away from the edge of the highway to be sure, that he wouldn't stumble and fall off it. 

Only then, he dared to scramble to his feet again and throw a look around. 

What he saw, let his breath get caught within his throat in awe.

The highway consisted of two broad concrete paths, only separated by a stony barrier in the middle.  
It seemed to be endless, loosing itself in the distance in both directions and from up here, Woojin could see the horizon, since the height of the place enabled him to look over most of the trees. 

The sky was still clouded, but the air felt somewhat brighter up here, although the temperature had dropped due to the strong wind, that blew around is head and played with his hair. 

Woojin had to admit.  
It was breath-taking!  
Free and wild and beautiful in a very rough and untamed way!

In that moment, his gaze fell on the four figures, that were on top of the highway along with him.  
He was pretty sure, none of them had noticed him yet, because the boys were caught up within their activity, laughing and cheering happily.

Currently, Chan, and Jisung were standing on a board each, speeding up and down the path, while Changbin and Felix tried to share the third skateboard, giggling, as they tried to hold their balance together.

Jisung was trying to drive slalom around a few stones he had probably set up, but the one, who really caught Woojin's eye, was Chan.

Never before had he seen the other leader like this. 

The blond was steering his board with obvious experience, now and then speeding up, before he made a turn again, driving into the other direction.  
His blond locks were dancing in the wind and his black eyes sparkled with so much joy, Woojin could even see it from his spot behind the small wall, that formed the barrier between the road and the path beside it, on which Woojin was standing. 

Lips curled up in a bright smile, Chan laughed loudly, as Jisung accidentally fell of his board, rolling over once, before he jumped back onto his feet, joining in on Chan's laughter.

And Woojin decided right there and then, that he liked this Chan the best. 

Sure, he had always somehow admired the boy's strength and calm personality, but this Chan - this happy, carefree, laughing Chan with his dimples out and his walls down – was definitely the Chan, who was able to warm his heart the most. 

Only now, Woojin realized, how much he had hated the always worried expression on the other leader's face, whenever he had thought about his past; the dark looks he had shared with Changbin or Jisung, that Woojin had always somehow witnessed, even though it hadn't been a conscious act. 

Woojin wanted Chan to look, like he did right now, all the time.  
Or at least most of the time.  
More often, than now, that was for sure!

When Changbin and Felix lost their balance once again, Chan drove over to them and jumped off his board in one Swift movement.

“Come on, Binnie, ride with me!”, Woojin heard him laugh, before Changbin grinningly jumped onto his leader's back, the blond telling his friend to hold on tight, before he stepped back onto his board, carefully speeding up and making Changbin cheer in the process.  
It brought a smile to Woojin's lips as well.  
No longer wanting to just stand at the sidelines, the oldest carefully climbed over the narrow wall, before walking over towards the group of the four boys. 

Felix was the first one to notice him, a bright smile spreading on the orange-haired alpha's face, as he changed his course and drove towards his leader. 

Just before reaching Woojin, he came to an abrupt stop, tumbling over in the process and landing right within the older's embrace.  
Woojin luckily had already seen it coming and therefore extended his arms in premonition to Felix' fall.

“Careful, tiger, you're gonna hurt yourself!”, he laughed lightly at the freckled boy's eagerness.  
Simply grinning, Felix regained his balance and let go of Woojin again to stand upright on his own. 

“Fancy seeing you here, hyung!” he beamed, his usually deep voice a bit more high-pitched than normally.  
“What brought you up the highway?”

By now, Chan and Jisung had realized his presence as well, the two other boy's coming closer as well, Chan still with Changbin on his back. 

Looking over to the blond leader, whose eyes were round in recognition, Woojin smirked. 

“Well, a certain someone, who was supposed to get you guys back down, didn't come back, so I went after him to check whether everything was alright!”, he answered Felix question, crossing his arms over his chest while raising one brow at Chan mockingly. 

Immediate guilt appeared on the leader's features and he averted his eyes a bit, looking at the ground as if it had become more interesting than their conversation.

“Sorry, I kinda forgot the time!”, he mumbled, slowly letting Binnie down to stand on his own feet again.

A soft smile spread on Woojin's face, and he let his arms fall back to his sides again. 

The guilty expression made Chan look younger and more vulnerable, but as refreshing it was to see new sides of the blond, it wasn't what Woojin wanted for the other to look like.  
He wanted him to smile again.  
And he wanted to have fun, too!

“So, now that you've made me climb all the way up here – and I'm still not sure about how I'll get down again.“, he shuddered at the thought of having to climb the ladder back down. “You better show me how to ride a damn skateboard, because I have never done that in my life!”

Immediately, Chan's face lit up, his dimples reappearing, as he flashed a radiant smile at Woojin. 

“Sure, no problem!”, he replied, jumping of his own board and picking it up. 

And then - to Woojin's genuine surprise - the blond grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him towards an empty space on the highway.  
Like Jeongin would do it sometimes when he had to show him something the younger boy was especially excited about.  
The only difference being, that Jeongin was sixteen, while Chan was twenty and a pack-leader. 

And that was, when Woojin realized, what Hyunjin had meant, when he had said, that Chan was 'only twenty'.  
That was, when he realized, what the tall alpha had meant, when he had said, that Chan was one of the biggest crackheads, he knew.  
And on top of everything, he realized, what made the blond different as a pack-leader, why he got everyone to trust him so quickly. 

Because Chan was on the same level as them.  
Chan didn't look at everyone from above to keep a cool head and a better sight over everyone.  
He stood right within his pack, among all his members.  
He didn't lead them from the front, he led them from in between, looking out for everyone falling behind and not letting them follow him blindly but only giving them advice while they had to search for their own way. 

Woojin had always pictured leaders as lonely, hence, why he had never actually wanted to be one.  
His father had always told him, that only by standing alone, he would be strong and weakness-less, a true captain, a true leader. 

And Woojin had despised that thought, had despised the way his father and his mother, too, had treated love and affection as something disgusting and useless, while the love towards his brother had been the very thing to keep him going in the first place. 

But Chan didn't stand alone. 

He wasn't the leader of his pack, because he was strong.  
No, he was so strong because he was the leader of his pack. 

He was one of them, was like Jisung, like Changbin, like Hyunjin.  
He understood them and Woojin began to see, that he was like Felix, too, like Seungmin, like Jeongin and like Minho. 

And Chan was also like Woojin himself.  
He was a little bit like all of them and yet, he only was himself. 

Not perfect, not omniscient, not impeccable, but vulnerable and insecure, a boy, just like everyone else.  
He wasn't special. 

And that was exactly what made him extraordinary.

“Earth to Woojin, are you there?” 

Chan's slightly confused voice snapped the oldest back into the presence, him shaking his head a little to clear his mind of any thoughts. 

“Yeah, sorry, I zoned out for a sec!”, Woojin apologized, before looking down at the board between him and Chan. 

“So, what are the essentials, I should know about this thing, before I start?”, he asked suspiciously, the tip of his shoe nudging the board carefully. 

Grinning again, Chan motioned for him to look and put his own foot back onto the skateboard, relatively far to the front. 

“Look, this is how you will place your dominant foot!”, he explained, only to earn himself a clueless glance from Woojin.

“My what?”, the older asked, cocking his head a bit to the side.  
He had never heard that expression. 

Chan seemed to understand his struggle though. 

“The leg, you are more comfortable and confident with. The one, you'd subconsciously step forward with first, if someone told you to.”, the blond elaborated, clearing Woojin's confusion.

Chan pointed at his other leg, that was still on the ground. 

“Basically, skateboarding isn't too much of an art, at least not in the beginning.”, he further spoke, peaking up to Woojin through his bangs from time to time, probably to check, whether the older was still following.  
Woojin found it quite hard to Focus on Chan's Explanation whenever the blond's sparkling eyes met his again. 

“The first thing you'll have to learn and get used to slowly, is the keeping of your balance! It's really not too hard, just requires a little bit of training.” 

Chan pushed his other foot off the ground, the momentum letting him roll forward with the board. 

“And that's it for now. Unless you can't hold your balance on the skateboard, you won't be able to steer it either, so there's no use in showing you that, before you haven't even managed the first!”

Driving a small circle around Woojin seemingly effortless, Chan came to a halt again in front of the oldest, jumping off the board, before he smiled at the alpha. 

“Just try it out!”

Carefully, Woojin put his left foot on the skateboard before giving himself a slight push with his other leg, immediately rolling forward. 

The motion was somehow way more abrupt, than he had assumed for some reason, so he almost lost his balance right at the beginning, Chan already making a step forward to catch him, but then, Woojin was able to hold his ground, brows furrowed in concentration, as he got used to the slight shaking of the board and the rattling beneath it's wheels due to the uneven concrete. 

After a few meters, he was confident enough in his posture to push himself forward again. The movement let him fight for his balance again, but already the next push felt safer and he was able to stand upright, gliding over the gray highway towards east, the wind playing with his hair. 

A smile spread on his face.  
This was fun!

Rapid footsteps behind him startled him a bit, but Woojin was able to stay on the board, as he carefully turned his head. 

Next to him, Chan was running, his feet thundering on the concrete, as he accelerated his tempo even more to be able to run alongside Woojin. 

“What the fuck are you doing?”, Woojin yelled, concerned, that Chan's injury might reopen.  
He wanted to slow down, only to notice, that the board beneath him had no obvious brakes.

Chan only laughed breathily. 

“Catching up to you to tell you how to steer the thing beneath your feet so that you won't have to drive down the highway in that direction forever!”, he answered between pants.  
His black eyes were shining like gemstones in the light of the day and his locks were being pushed out of his forehead from the wind.

Woojin couldn't help but return the blond's grin. 

“So how do I turn around then?”, he asked a little clueless.  
By now, they surely were a few hundred meters away from the rest of their group.

Still running, Chan pointed to his feet. 

“The board reacts to the shift of your weight!”, he explained quickly.  
“If you want to go left, you have to lean in that direction, plus maybe shift your feet a bit, depending on how sharp your turn is supposed to be.”

Nodding in understanding, Woojin leaned a bit to the right, only to promptly swerve into Chan's line of running, the blond yelping in surprise and jumping out of his way in the last moment. 

Shock spread through Woojin's body, and he turned to the blond with widened eyes. “I am so sorry!”, he apologized genuinely, his board making a wide turn, now driving back towards the others. 

Chan only laughed, running up to him again. 

“So that's the thanks I get for teaching you!”, the blond replied, making Woojin grin as well.

They returned to the rest of their group, Woojin having to speed up a few times, because Chan really was a fast runner.  
When they finally reached their starting point again, Woojin helplessly turned towards the still running Chan.

“How do I brake?”, he asked a little confused, earning laughter from the other leader. 

“Either you let your foot scrap over the ground to slow down, or you just jump off!”, the blond answered before coming to a halt himself. 

Choosing the first version, Woojin held his right shoe against the concrete, the scraping noise getting more and more silent, the more he slowed down, until his board came to a full stop, enabling him to step off it.  
Immediately, Chan was in front of him, his dimples deep, as he smiled up to Woojin.

“So, had fun?”, the blond asked jokingly and still slightly out of breath. 

Woojin laughed.  
“Sure I had fun!”, he responded genuinely, smiling at the younger. He often forgot it, but Chan actually was younger than him by almost half a year, even though they both counted their age as twenty.  
Nonetheless, Woojin forced himself to withstand the urge to ruffle through Chan's messy bangs.  
He wasn't sure, how the other would have reacted to such an intimate gesture.

“Channie-hyung, Woojin-hyung!” 

Jisung's voice echoed over the empty highway, making them both turn their heads.  
The omega was speeding towards them on his board, almost crashing into Woojin as well, similar to how Felix had done before.  
Again, Woojin held out his arms on instinct, catching the by-flying younger before he could dive into the pavement. 

“What is it with you guys, that somehow, you don't seem to have a concept of self-preservation?”, he asked in mock despair, as he helped Jisung to find his balance again, Chan's barely suppressed laughter sounding within his ears from behind him.

Other than Felix, Jisung didn't let go of his jacket, instead the younger clawing to the fabric and raising his head slightly to be able to look up to Woojin with a grin. 

“Thanks, hyung!”, he exclaimed.  
“What would I do without you saving my ass!”

And then, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Woojin's middle for a few seconds.

At this point, Chan was actually cackling behind Woojin, and the alpha wasn't too sure, whether it was because of Jisung's choice of words or because of his own flabbergasted expression. 

Never before had Jisung hugged him.  
The omega had been the most wary towards him, if he was honest, always keeping a little distance between them.  
So that now, he apparently had enough trust in Woojin to hug the older, was truly touching to the alpha. 

Closing his arms softly around Jisung to give him the opportunity to break their embrace apart at any time, Woojin smiled softly.  
He would get there. He would get them to trust him fully.  
Even Chan!

A second later, Jisung stepped back again, immediately leaping at Chan to hug him as well, the blond softly rubbing his hand over his dongsaeng's back.

“What was it, that you wanted to tell us, Sungie?”, he reminded the boy of his previous reason for approaching them in the first place. 

Jumping backwards, Jisung pointed back towards the ladder. 

“Right!”, he got back to his topic.  
“Hyunjin called up. Him and Minho are wondering, when we will come back. Apparently, they are starting to get bored!” 

He pouted lightly. 

“I offered them to come up, but they are both too lazy!” 

His voice dropping a bit, he added: “Even though I would have loved to see Minho on a skateboard. I'm sure, he wouldn't have known how to ride it properly!” 

Chuckling at the omega's words, Woojin carded a hand through his messy hair, the strands having gotten tangled over his wild skateboard-ride. 

“True, but I guess, you have to postpone that for another time!”, he replied apologetically.  
“We still have to collect some things after all and then we have to travel back as well. I'm not too keen on walking through unknown territory in the middle of the night!”

Nodding, Chan voiced his agreement. 

“Let's get down again and fill our backpacks with useful stuff!”, he suggested, his leader-mode switching back on, although the soft look within his eyes remained.

Sighing, Jisung turned around. 

“Fine, but I wanna go down last!”, he announced before picking up his board and falling into a sprint towards Changbin and Felix, who were joking around in the distance.

Letting his gaze wander over the abandoned highway, Woojin took in a deep breath. 

“Let's come here again at some point!”, he mumbled, the wind blowing into his face.  
It carried the smell of pine-trees and winter, fresh and aromatic at the same time, and filled the alpha's heart with a longing he couldn't quite explain. 

“Yeah, that would be nice!”, Chan softly added, his tone sounding a bit more grave than before as well. 

They both turned back towards the direction of the ladder, following Jisung over the hard pavement, Chan carrying their board in his hand. 

Reaching their group, Changbin looked at them expectantly. 

“Ready?”, the short omega asked.  
He didn't seem to have the same melancholic feelings as Woojin or Chan, only appearing a bit afraid of their climb down, back to Hyunjin and Minho. 

Which Woojin could understand perfectly well.

“Yeah, we're good to go!”, Chan replied, before looking over his shoulder, seemingly searching for something.  
Letting out a noise of delight, he walked over to a part of the wall, where a few of the stones at the bottom were missing, leaving a small hollow space underneath the upper ones.

Crouching down, Chan placed his board right within said cave. 

“We should leave the skateboards here!”, he stated as he stood back up and turned around.  
“They wont be of any use to us within the forest anyway, and like this, if we decide to come back here at some point, we won't have to carry them back up again!”

“Sounds legit!”, Felix nodded, grabbing his own board and walking over to Chan, where he placed it on top of the blond's skateboard.  
Jisung followed with a sigh.

“Too bad we don't have roads near the apartment-tower!”, he mumbled, as his board, too, wandered under under the wall.  
“It would have been a lot of fun!”

Smiling warmly, Chan ruffled the younger omega's brown hair affectionately. 

“Now it'll be too cold and snowy for a while anyways!”, he reminded with a chuckle.  
“Survive the winter first, before you mourn the skateboard!”

Huffing, Jisung crossed his arms. 

“As if this is my first winter!”, he grumbled, making Chan and Woojin laugh.  
_____  
(a few minutes earlier)

Crossing his legs under himself, Hyunjin stared after Woojin's disappearing form on the ladder.  
He was aware, that Woojin would probably see Chan's more vulnerable side now, but Hyunjin had enough. 

Enough of Chan's frown and his guarded eyes, enough of the blond's sleepless nights, that had increased again.  
Enough of his leader's calm and calculating mask, that wasn't like the real Chan in the least. 

Hyunjin wanted his older friend to smile again, wanted him to open up to this other pack again without always fearing, that one of them could be like that guy. 

Of course, the alpha knew, that trusting Woojin's pack just like that was risky, but on the other hand, he couldn't help but just do. 

They had helped them, when Hyunjin and his friends had been at their worst, had never forced them into doing something they didn't want to, although Woojin and his pack-mates had been in a way stronger and better position. 

And by now, Hyunjin was tired of distrusting.  
He wanted to be able to relax again, to be able to close both his eyes at night and laugh freely.  
Always being on guard was something incredibly draining!

“You really don't wanna go up there as well?” 

The sudden words pulled him away from his thoughts and made him look towards Minho, who was lowering himself down next to Hyunjin.  
His scent was calm and soothing, despite it being a little sharper than the tall alpha was used to from Woojin.  
He had come to like it, ever since he knew, that Minho meant no danger to him, but rather protection.  
It felt nice and he had realized, that by now, he was able to relax his usually tense muscles within the older boy's presence.

Shaking his head, he raised his gaze again towards the sky. 

“Nope, I'm good down here. Besides, I don't think you should stay here all by yourself. Being alone can be dangerous within this world.”, he answered quietly, a small smile tugging on his lips.  
Beside him, he could hear Minho shuffle on his spot a bit.

“What makes you think, I would stay down here?”, the older asked, his voice sounding cautious. 

Raising one brow, Hyunjin threw the boy a judging look.

“Hyung, no offense, but I'm not stupid!”, he retorted.  
“I know, nothing within this world could get you to even do so much as put your foot on the first rundle!”

Looking surprised, Minho stared at him wide-eyed. 

“How do you know that?”, he then asked, tone a little suspicious.  
“Does Jisung know, too?”

Chuckling slightly, Hyunjin shook his head. 

“That's exactly the point!”, he replied.  
“You guys are so focused on Jisung not finding out about this kind of stuff, that you underestimate the rest of our group. You may have avoided Sungie with all your watches at the top of the apartment-tower, but you often were on watch with me or Chan-hyung. And I'm not blind! I can see the way you stay away from the edge!”. 

Reaching up to pull his hairband off his head, he wrapped it around his wrist again, before carding a hand through his tousled strands.  
“But don't worry! I'm not telling anyone. Although I'm pretty sure, Chan-hyung knows already!”

Apparently, his explanation had left Minho speechless, because the following few seconds were heavy with silence, and Hyunjin already feared, he had angered the older alpha, his body tensing up a bit at the thought.  
Ready to apologize, he opened his mouth again, when Minho finally let out a soft chuckle. 

“Thanks for keeping my secret!”, the older boy mumbled, turning his gaze towards the cloudy sky as well.  
“I'm still not completely comfortable with my fear being out in the open, but I guess, you guys are familiar with feelings like that, aren't you?”

Hyunjin knew, Minho was referring to the story behind Chan's injury.  
Of course he knew. 

But he couldn't tell them.  
He couldn't tell Minho. 

So he ignored it and pretended to have misunderstood him.

“Yeah, being that vulnerable in front of others is never easy, especially, since we know each other for only a few weeks now. But I believe, it can only get better!”

Avoiding Minho's sharp gaze, Hyunjin could literally feel the older's disgruntled stare on the side of his face, but he didn't dare to make eye-contact with the alpha.  
He feared, that if he would actually look at the other, Minho would be able to see right into his head and discover their whole story and everything Hyunjin wanted to bury at the deepest part of his mind to forget it forever.

“Yeah, I guess you're right!”, Minho simply answered, seemingly haven given up on getting information out of him. 

They waited wordlessly, the minutes passing slowly, and Hyunjin felt himself grow impatient. 

Lying to, or at least not enlightening Minho about the truth made the tall alpha feel bad.  
He wanted to be honest, wanted the other to trust him and in return be able to trust them. 

Desperately trying to chase away the guilt, that started to creep up on him, he let out a sigh.

“How much longer are they gonna take? It's been ages already!”, he mumbled, just to be able to say at least something, that would distract Minho, as well as himself, from the unspoken story hanging within the air between them. 

Apparently, Minho was grateful for his change of topic, because the older visibly relaxed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Seems like they are having fun!”, he commented before scrambling to his feet with a grunt.  
“We could try calling up to them, though!”

Nodding, Hyunjin stood up as well, dusting his pants off. 

“Yeah, let's do that!”, he agreed, but getting startled nonetheless at Minho's sudden shout, which sounded even louder, here in the middle of the deserted field they were standing on.  
Hyunjin hoped to the heavens, no one beside their friends would hear them.

“Woojin! Felix! Jisung!”, Minho yelled, seemingly listing the first names that came to his mind. 

After the faint echo of his words faded out, silence followed, through which Hyunjin and Minho both held their breath to be able to hear any possible answers better. 

Hyunjin already believed, their friends hadn't picked up on their shouts, when suddenly, the dark silhouette of a head appeared on top of the ladder.

“What's going on?”, Jisung's voice asked, his tone light-hearted and giddy.  
Even without being able to recognize the younger omega's features properly, Hyunjin could tell of his friend's broad grin.

“We were getting kinda bored down here and were wondering, whether we could count on you to get back or if we should start to accept the fact, that you are gone for good!”, Minho yelled back up, sarcasm evident within his voice. 

Again, Hyunjin could have sworn to be able to detect Jisung's eye-roll, even without seeing it.  
That was, what years of living together did to you.

“Why don't you guys come up. It's really cool up here!”, the omega shot back, a provocative tone to his words, and Hyunjin saw Minho biting his lower lip at the fact of not being able to reply properly without making the omega suspicious. 

Deciding to cut in at this point, Hyunjin took in a deep breath, preparing himself to speak louder than normally.  
He hated raising his voice and in return also despised it, if someone else did it, but right now, considering their circumstances, he guessed it couldn't be helped.

“Sungie, we're serious, there's still a lot of stuff to take care of and we still have the whole way back to the apartment-tower left for us to accomplish! Please get Chan and Woojin to cut things short and come down again!”

A heavy sounding sigh answered his plead, as Jisung nodded in defeat. 

“Alright, I'll go tell them!”, the omega replied, before his head disappeared from the edge, leaving Hyunjin and Minho to themselves again.  
Nudging him gently, Minho gave Hyunjin a grateful nod. 

“Thanks for supporting me!”, he mumbled. 

Hyunjin only waved him off.  
When the time was right, it was the older alpha's task to tell whomever he wanted to know, about his fear.  
Until then, Hyunjin would keep his knowledge about the boy's weakness to himself.  
It wasn't his story to tell.

Biting onto his lip, he bowed down to pluck a large blade of grass from the ground, only to start ripping it into tiny green pieces, his hands getting restless, as his thoughts once again wandered towards the secret he kept. 

But that wasn't his story to tell either. 

It was Jisung's!

And most of all, it was Chan's!  
__________

Chan was the first one to start his way down the ladder, closely followed by Felix and then Changbin. 

The short omega took his sweet time climbing down, since he was a lot more scared, than Felix had been, so Woojin sat down near the edge, letting his feet dangle above the abyss.  
Normally, he would have been intimidated by the height of his momentary position, but right now, he felt calm for some reason, especially, when suddenly, Jisung sat himself down beside him, only about half a meter of space left between them. 

For a moment, there was silence hovering around them, until Woojin decided to break it.

“You really like high places like this one, don't you?” 

He looked over to Jisung, who didn't turn his head but instead kept his gaze fixated onto the horizon, where in the distance, one could already detect the slightly darker silhouettes of the mountains. 

“They always made me feel free somehow!”, The omega finally answered, voice soft and quiet.  
“As if nothing could imprison me, nothing could touch me!”

Nodding Woojin, too, let his eyes wander over the landscape.  
From beneath them, he could hear the encouraging shouts of Felix and Chan, who were trying to get Changbin safely down the ladder.

He didn't expect Jisung to say anything else, which was why it surprised him, when the omega suddenly started talking again.

“You know,”, he rose to speak.  
“Before we met you guys, we used to wander around a lot!”

Confused, Woojin raised his brows. 

“Wandered?”, he asked, already having wondered about it, ever since Hyunjin had mentioned it before, within the shopping center.  
He had never heard of a pack, that didn't have a certain territory, a place they could return to and call home.

However, Jisung nodded, a faint smile spreading on his lips. 

“We used to wander around, find new places and new packs.”, he explained.  
“Some people let us stay with them, let us get to know and learn from them. In exchange, we helped them with their hunts and everything and told them of our own knowledge!”

Woojin's jaw almost dropped for the third time today. 

This concept of living Jisung was talking about was something he had never known before.  
It sounded wild and interesting and somehow set off a longing within his heart, but at the same time, it also seemed very lonely and cold. 

Imagining to not have something like the apartment-tower, a place that was warm and protected him from everything, bad weather, the coldness of winter or other people, made a knot of fear grow within his guts.  
He wasn't really sure, whether he should envy Jisung, or not.

“Was there no place you could call home?”, he questioned carefully, hoping, the omega wouldn't suddenly stop narrating and retreat back into his shell, like Chan usually did.  
He really wanted to know more about their pack!

Smiling weakly, Jisung shook his head. 

“We were our own home!”, he replied in a melancholic tone.  
“And we could go anywhere, stay anywhere. We were at home wherever we went and could leave whenever we wanted. We were free!” 

The boy's voice faded out at the end of his sentence, and when Woojin turned his head again to look at the younger, he could recognize the pained longing within Jisung's brown eyes, the omega still staring at the horizon. 

He obviously seemed to miss that kind of lifestyle and Woojin wished, there would be something he could do to make the omega feel better.  
However, there was one question on his mind, that kept replaying itself, kept ghosting through his head, until he couldn't bear to keep it in any longer. 

So he asked.

“Why did you stop then?” 

He inhaled deeply.  
“You stopped, even before Chan got his injury, right? Why did you do that?”

Pausing to dangle his feet, Jisung sat completely still.  
His mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to answer, wanted to say something, and Woojin held his breath.  
On the inside, he felt his heart speed up, his whole body being on edge. 

Would Jisung respond?  
Would he finally find out about this nerve-wracking mystery the other pack was carrying around with them? 

But to his disappointment, the boy suddenly pressed his lips together, as if he was trying to keep words inside, that threatened to spill out. 

He threw Woojin a look, that was filled with despair, along with something, that the alpha believed to identify as a mix of fear and sadness, before the boy scrambled to his feet, avoiding his gaze again.

“You know, I think I changed my mind!”, Jisung mumbled, turning towards the ladder.  
“I think, I'll go first!” 

Then, without another word, he swung himself over the edge and started climbing down, leaving Woojin behind. 

Sighing, the alpha leaned back onto his hands, staring into the cloudy sky. 

A soft gush of wind danced around him, playing with his hair and Woojin closed his eyes shortly. 

What was the other pack so afraid of?  
What was it, that none of them wanted to voice? 

Hyunjin had been so scared the first time, Woojin had asked the younger alpha about the matter, Chan had refused to tell him, even though Woojin had been within a superior position and even Jisung, the outgoing and loud omega of the group, seemed to be terrified of the simple thought of the incident that apparently had happened to them. 

From their stories, Woojin had come to believe, they had been a pretty strong and well functioning group, living their life in their own way. 

So what had happened, that had messed them up so bad, had put the fear into Jisung's bright eyes and the furrow into Chan's brows? 

What had happened?

A shout from beneath him made Woojin open his eyes again.  
From below, Chan was calling him, and Woojin realized, that Jisung had long reached the ground again, standing next to Hyunjin now, so close that the oldest had a hard time of keeping them apart from up here.

Giving the blond leader a single wave, Woojin shook his head slightly to clear his mind, before he started climbing down the ladder as well, hoping, the thing would survive another trip down without breaking.

He would find out, what had happened!  
Woojin was determined to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go...
> 
> This was another 'lighter' chapter. The next one holds some angst again, so prepare for that. Also, there's gonna be some Action and i still tried to make it funny, so yeah, we'll see tomorrow;)
> 
> For everyone's Information:  
> I posted the chapter on Seungmin's/Woojin's past in my other book! You are not oblidged to read it and it is not necessary for the main Story, but is sure holds a lot of Information on my Kind of omegaverse (since Seungmin is a Little Know-it-all).  
> So if you want to, check that chapter out. It's the forth one of the second work of this series.  
> This link will get you right on the right page:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23630317/chapters/57639460
> 
> We'll meet again tomorrow;)  
> until then, i would feel happy about any Kind of comment! If you have the time and Motivation, it would make me very happy to hear, what you all think about the chapters!  
> Only if you want to of course!
> 
> Stay save, mates!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst, Trauma ... and don't mess with boars!;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we go, another chapter!  
> We are still delaying the main plot because i still Need to get in a few Scenes (Minsung), and I am one hell of a procrastinator;)  
> (Sorry channie)
> 
> Anyways, i hope you enjoy!

About two hours later, the group gathered in front of the shopping center again, their backpacks all stuffed to the brim with things they had found during their second search. 

Many of their newly gained items were warmer clothes or blankets, but Woojin had also found a book, that he hoped would interest Seungmin, and a chain-like metal necklace, that was now safely tugged away within the pocket of his jeans, ready to get transported to Jeongin.

Minho was wearing a gray jacket he had discovered in the far back of the second floor, and Chan had put on the sweater he had been carrying wrapped around his hips.  
Both boys had made sure, that their new clothes were free of any kind of animals, such as spiders or bugs, but nonetheless, Woojin could see, that Felix kept his distance from the both of them, seemingly not trusting their judgment. 

Within the backpack of the freckled alpha were all the items, that were made of anything but fabric.  
That way - Felix had explained - he made sure, that not a single pest would be able to get near him. 

Changbin, on the other hand, didn't seem to have similar concerns, because he had deliberately offered to take the huge woolen blanket they had found, and that not even Woojin was ready to touch before they had washed it properly. 

Hyunjin and Jisung were carrying all kinds of warm clothes, which they hoped would get them through the winder without freezing too much.

Ever since they had left the highway behind them, Woojin hadn't seen the two boys of the other pack apart for even a minute.  
For some reason, Jisung wouldn't leave his taller friend's side anymore, sticking to the alpha as if they were glued together and from time to time, Hyunjin would even lay his arm around the younger omega's shoulders. 

Their intimacy made Woojin realize, that not only Changbin and Hyunjin were close, but also Jisung and the alpha. 

Of course, he had known about that fact, since they were pack-mates, but never before had he really seen the two of them interact that immensely.  
Normally, Jisung was less of a skin-ship kind of person than Changbin and the rare moments, the brown-haired omega decided to cuddle, he usually landed in Chan's arms.

Watching Jisung and Hyunjin now, the taller bowing down a little in that very moment to whisper something into the omega's ear, Woojin could see the amount of trust, Jisung had into his friend. 

Other than with Minho or even Woojin himself, the brown-haired boy didn't even flinch the slightest or looked uncomfortable in any way, rather leaning into Hyunjin's touch, than away.

Nonetheless, to Woojin, Jisung seemed a little unnerved and restless, as if he had something on his mind that occupied his thoughts. 

The boy hadn't spoken to anyone but Hyunjin ever since their talk on top of the highway and his smile had faded away as well, replaced by a slight frown and glazed-over eyes, that seemed to stare off into empty space without really taking anything in.

Woojin had the bad feeling, the omega's behavior had something to do with what they had talked about before, and he really hoped, he hadn't destroyed the fine line of trust, that Jisung had started to build between them, with his curiosity. 

“Can we go? We still have a long way to travel and i'd like to be back before dark!”, Minho spoke up, ripping Woojin's string of thoughts and gathering everyone's attention. 

Nodding, Chan threw a short glance over to Woojin, his dark eyes serious again, holding no clue of the sparkle they had contained before. 

It pained Woojin a bit to see, how instantly the blond seemed to slip back into his old and unapproachable leader-role.  
Nevertheless, he gave a curt nod back, a soft smile on his lips.  
Relief washed through him, when Chan returned it. 

At least, there was still some kind of connection left between them from their activity before.

Sighing, he motioned for everyone to get moving, the group heading off towards south, where they had come from. 

Walking in the front, Woojin heard soft steps catching up to him, already knowing of Minho's arrival before the dark-haired alpha showed up beside him. 

“What's gotten you so riled up?”, Woojin questioned upon seeing his old friend's frown, the boy's brows furrowed in obvious exasperation.  
Minho let out a dry scoff.

“Jisung and Chan fell behind to “talk in private”, as how Jisung worded it!”, he replied, voice dripping with discontent. 

Looking over his shoulder, Woojin searched for the two boys' forms, that indeed were visible in the far back of their group, a considerable distance between them and Felix, Hyunjin and Changbin, who were walking in the middle. 

“They shouldn't stay too far away!”, he murmured in concern, but only earning himself a snort from Minho.

“Why do you worry so much?”, the younger alpha asked, tone sharp.  
“It's not like they are dependent on us, obviously! They can take care of themselves just fine!”

Sighing, Woojin turned back towards the front. 

“Because I care about my friends, even if they are as capable as Chan and Jisung!”, he answered quietly. 

“Friends? Are they really?” 

Minho sounded hard and defensive, but Woojin could see within his face, that the alpha wasn't just annoyed.  
He looked more like he was scared, his cat-like eyes slightly widened and filled with uneasiness.

Without hesitation, Woojin wrapped his arm around his friend's shoulder and pulled him closer.  
Normally, Minho wasn't one for skin-ship.  
Normally, the alpha was even quicker to pull away, than Felix was, but today was different from normally, and Woojin could feel that. 

Minho was upset and insecure about, what he was supposed to think of the other pack and their secrets, and Woojin could understand him perfectly. 

Not only did he feel the exact same way but also was he friends with the other boy long enough to know what the alpha was thinking.  
He had always been able to read Minho like a book, just like the other was able to tell his emotion's as well.

Leaning his head against Woojin's shoulder, Minho let out a deep groan. 

“I'm just so sick of not knowing, what's going on, Woo!”, he admitted, now quieter and softer.  
“I just want to know, what I'm dealing with, but none of them is willing to let me in and it's...”, he swallowed, looking for the right word before he breathed out. “...exhausting!”

Humming, Woojin squeezed his friend's arm lightly to comfort him. 

“I know, Min, I know!”, he mumbled.  
“But we can't force them. It's their story to tell and we don't have the right to pressure them into talking! I tried it once, and I was wrong back then. You know I was and Chan had every right to react the way he did.”

“Yeah, I know!” 

Minho's voice sounded disgruntled.  
“I know and that makes it even worse! Because we can't do anything but sit and wait, and that is something I absolutely cannot do! I hate waiting! I was never the patient type!” 

He started ranting, letting out small curses under his breath, that Woojin decided to overlook, due to the circumstances.

“Can't they trust us by now?”, Minho ended his speech, still walking close enough to Woojin, that their sides were touching.  
The alpha's warmth felt comforting to the older, reminding him, that he wasn't alone in this. 

“Maybe they have an urgent reason not to?”, he gave back thoughtfully, although he really didn't know, what kind of reason that could be. 

Heaving a deep sigh, Minho lifted his head off Woojin's shoulder, carefully placing a bit of space between them again.  
Immediately Woojin let his arms slip off his friend's back and gave the other alpha one last reassuring smile. 

“We'll get behind this, Min!”, he promised.  
“Don't think about it too much. They will tell us eventually. I know they will!”

Nodding, Minho slowly curled his lips upward as well. 

“Thanks, Woo!”, he replied quietly.  
It were few words, but Woojin understood the meaning behind them without trouble, could feel his friend's true emotions, just like he had always been able to. 

“That's what family's for!”, he responded. Then he threw a look back towards Chan and Jisung again. His heart jumped in his chest. 

“Let's hope, Chan and his pack will become part of our's as well.", he added quietly. 

"Because I really don't wanna let them go again!”  
__________  
(shortly before)

“Chan-Hyung, I need to talk to you!”, Jisung stated as soon as Woojin and Minho started heading off towards the forest again, Felix and Changbin right behind them.

Chan looked surprised, but nodded nonetheless. 

“Sure, what is it?”, he questioned, motioning for Jisung and Hyunjin to get moving as well so that they wouldn't fall behind, but Jisung shook his head.  
He needed Chan alone. 

“In private!”, he added insistently. 

Hyunjin's arm on his back tapped him lightly, before the tall alpha strode past him, following the rest of their group with large steps until he caught up to Felix and Changbin.

Throwing him a questioning glance, Chan fully turned towards Jisung. 

“What is going on?”, he asked, his brows now furrowed lightly and his tone more serious.  
By now, he seemed to have picked up on the edge within Jisung's voice.

“Let's follow them in this distance!”, Jisung avoided his question, starting to walk after their Group.  
Chan was by his side immediately. 

“Sungie, what is it? Tell me!”, his leader urged, yet voice still soft.  
His dark eyes were filled with worry and fear. 

Taking in a deep breath, Jisung stared at his feet, silently counting his steps.  
He didn't get very far, since he only knew the numbers up to twenty. 

Although he knew, he had to talk about his discovery with Chan, he still hadn't found the right words for what he was about to say. 

At first, he hadn't even been certain, his nose only finding the scent it had picked up, strangely familiar.  
Familiar in a very petrifying way. 

Yet he hadn't been able to get behind whatever his brain had connected that specific smell with. 

But then - slowly but carefully - single puzzle pieces had found their way together, clearing up the picture his head was trying to look at.  
And he had realized, why the two strangers from before had smelled like fear. 

It hadn't been their fear though.  
It had been his own. 

“Jisung!” 

The shout snapped him out of his thoughts and he whipped his head up in confusion, only to meet Chan's concerned gaze. 

“Sungie, talk to me, please! You're spacing out!”, his leader added quietly and somehow, he looked so vulnerable and helpless for a second, that Jisung almost couldn't bear the thought of telling him. 

Hell, he had seen how his leader laughed more often, had seen, how Chan slowly let down his walls, especially in front of Seungmin and Felix. 

Knowing, that with what he was about to inform the blond about, he would put the haunted look back into Chan's eyes, his chest seemed to constrict and his throat tighten, until he felt like he couldn't get even one single word out anymore.  
But he knew, he had to. 

“Remember the boy and the girl from before?”, he asked quietly, Chan only nodding curtly in reply.  
Kicking a pebble out of his way, Jisung but his lower lip on the search of the proper wording.

“They were from her pack!”

Jisung almost flinched, when he saw Chan freeze out of the corner of his eye.  
He hated this.  
This fear within Chan's eyes. 

It was one thing, if he himself was afraid. 

He was used to it by now, the nightmares of the past year almost a normal occurrence by now.  
Although they had lessened ever since they had met the other pack. 

But Chan being afraid was a whole new story. 

Chan was their leader, his strong older friend.  
Chan wasn't afraid. 

Sure, sometimes and on rare occasions but nonetheless, Chan always stood by his side, when Jisung was scared, always offered him the kind of protection, he needed. 

But now, that strong leader, Jisung saw in the blond, was scared himself. Terrified even.  
And that made Jisung's insides twist in a whole new way. 

Because Chan had every right to be!

“Are you sure?” 

Why did Chan sound so calm although his dark eyes were vortexes of mixed emotions?  
It was a true mystery to Jisung.  
He simply nodded.

“Hyunjin confirmed it!”, he answered lowly.  
“We're both certain, it was them.”

Silence spread between them and Jisung wasn't exactly sure, whether it was because Chan was thinking or due to a loss of words on the matter. 

From in front of them, he could hear Felix' laughter and Changbin's excited voice, accompanied by Hyunjin's soft giggles.  
The sounds told stories of a whole and save world, that seemed so close, yet so impossible to reach for the omega, that he almost felt like crying. 

But he didn't.  
Except for that time, when he had feared for Chan's life, Jisung had rarely cried over the past few months.  
He certainly wouldn't break that policy now.

“Do you think, they recognized us?”, Chan asked.  
“They must be new after all, since they didn't look familiar to me.”

Shaking his head, Jisung threw a look over his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed, that they had long entered the forest again and were now walking in the shade of the trees around them.  
What had been exciting and comfortable before, felt now threatening and dangerous, the shady light here creating an eerie atmosphere. 

Jisung missed feeling save, like he had before.

“Do you think, we endanger the others by staying with them?” 

It was the question, that had bugged him ever since their meeting from before.  
Because no matter how scared he was, pulling other, innocent people along with them into their misery was not something he wanted to do.  
Especially not, since he considered them something along the lines of friends already.

Letting out a breath, Chan shrugged, somehow looking very helpless all of the sudden.

“I don't know, Sungie!”, he gave back, gaze set straight ahead.  
“I really have no idea.”

“Do we have to leave them?” 

Jisung's voice was small and he scolded himself inwardly for the crack within it.  
But even with his eyes burning, no tears started to flow.  
They couldn't anymore.

A determined expression spread on Chan's face and it instantly gave Jisung a certain kind of reassurance as well. 

“We won't leave immediately!”, his leader answered.  
“First we will talk about this tomorrow with the others and then we decide. As a pack, like we always did. But tonight, we will sleep in peace!”

Calmness washed through Jisung at those words. 

He wouldn't have to leave just like that.  
And Chan was back to making decisions, back to being a leader. 

Although Jisung almost felt a little bad for putting all of this responsibility on the blond's shoulders, he still couldn't help but feel safer by depending on the older.  
It was how it was supposed to be. 

Chan was the leader. He himself was the pack-mate.

“Sungie, it's okay! We will figure this out!” 

Chan sounded so persuading, that Jisung couldn't help but believe him.  
Chan was always right. 

Well, at least if it wasn't about directions!

Carefully, Jisung reached for Chan's hand and wrapped his slightly smaller fingers around it, squeezing it for a short moment. 

“I know we will!”, he gave back, his voice sounding way more sure of his words, that he actually was.  
But he tried to smile nonetheless. 

Returning his squeeze, Chan hummed. 

“Now let's catch up to the others, before we loose them!”, he added with a reassuring smile, quickening his pace and pulling Jisung along in the process. 

He dared to grin. 

This felt way better!  
No worrying! They would get through this! They always did!  
Chan had said so!  
__________

Throwing a look back over his shoulder, Hyunjin let out a soft breath of relief, when he saw Chan and Jisung rushing after them. 

Even though Changbin had tried to distract him and Felix with his weird impersonations and sounds, he couldn't help but remain at his other pack-mates' discussion within his thoughts. 

He himself had felt the shivers go down his spine, when Jisung had first told him about his suspicion.  
That the scarily familiar scent of the two strangers from this morning had not just been an unfortunate coincidence.  
And that the memories it had brought with itself, weren't just bad dreams of their past anymore but still reality. 

Of course, the thought had scared him.  
But he was more worried about Jisung. 

Back then, the omega had been the one to carry away the biggest scar of all of them and it had taken months for the boy to return to the outlines of his previous cheerful self, even then still being more on guard, more suspicious of everyone around him. 

It had just gotten better, the panic attacks had just lessened and the boy had just been able to let others in again, beginning to trust them again. 

But now, Hyunjin had already seen the petrified look within Jisung's eyes again, and he feared for his younger friend's condition. Jisung was by no means fragile, but there was only so much, a Person could take before they broke.

Ever since they had stopped being enemies, like they had been the first few weeks they had spent together, he and Jisung had grown unbelievably close. 

The omega had always been there for him, when he had needed it and had given him the opportunity to let all his walls down and not think about his words for once, before spilling them. 

Around Jisung, he had never had the feeling, that he needed to be nice and please the other, because they had already shown their worst sides to each other during their fights.  
That way, Hyunjin felt close to Jisung on a special and different level. 

But now, he was scared Jisung would close himself off again. 

The chances were there, that the omega would loose himself in his memories once more, and on top of his trauma came the grief of his friend's loss, that Hyunjin had worked so hard to make Jisung get over.  
If there was one thing, he could wish for, he would beg for Jisung to be freed of those memories. 

If only he could do that!

“Finally, we were already wondering, what was you guys taking so long!”, Felix exclaimed, when Chan and Jisung caught up to them, their fingers still intertwined.  
Seeing that made Hyunjin smile a bit. 

At least, Jisung still allowed physical contact.  
That was a good sign!

“Sorry, we were just talking!”, Chan's voice sounded casual, but when Hyunjin let his gaze wander from Jisung to his leader, all worry about his omegian friend was forgotten immediately.

As long, as he had known, Chan had always been the strong one out of their pack.  
The leader, the oldest, the protector. 

It was, what had made Hyunjin look up to the blond, made him want to earn the boy's respect and be able to stand alongside him. 

Because no matter what, Chan was able to find a solution.  
Chan worked something out.  
Chan was there to lean on. 

But now, when he looked his leader in the face, he realized, that maybe, he had leaned too much on Chan.  
Maybe the world had put a little too much weight on the blond's shoulders.

The dark eyes of the older seemed to shine with nothing but fear, his bangs slightly damp with what Hyunjin believed to be sweat, and when the alpha took in Chan's whole appearance, he saw the slight shaking of the boy's form, that apparently no one else seemed to notice. 

Chan seemed to live through everything again they had tried to leave behind them, and Hyunjin felt cold tremors start to rock his own body, when he remembered, how Chan had been right after the incident. 

He remembered the insomnious nights, when Chan had been awake for hours, just to be able to run from his own dreams and watch over his pack-mates.  
He remembered the dark shades beneath Chan's eyes, the loss of weight and the moments, when he himself had lain awake at night, unable to sleep because the almost inaudible mumbles of his leader had kept him awake, the blond telling whole stories about what he had done. 

And it scared Hyunjin to the wits, when he thought about all that returning. 

He had never been good at carrying responsibility and back then, he had felt very alone sometimes, especially when he hadn't known whether to go comfort his leader or to let him mourn in peace. 

Sure, Changbin had been there, the buff omega doing his best to remain strong and grown-up, but Changbin was Changbin.  
The older was fragile as well, had his own demons to battle with, and Hyunjin knew, he couldn't always hide behind the dark-haired boy's broad form. 

He was an alpha, for gods sake!  
He was supposed to protect his pack! 

But he hadn't been able to do shit back then, Chan being the one so save them again.  
And he hadn't been able to protect his leader during the second incident either!

A sudden rush of anger cursed through Hyunjin, and he stepped forward with more force than needed.  
Grabbing Chan's free hand Hyunjin pulled the surprised blond beside him, until he was Walking right next to the Alpha, so Close, Hyunjin could share his own body-heat with the older, like he had done so often already.

“Great, let's make a chain!”, Changbin grinned before grabbing Felix' left and Hyunjin's right hand, so that they were all connected with each other, as they kept walking. 

Looking at Changbin, Hyunjin could see, that the omega's smile, too, was a bit more forced than before. Despite it, the boy held himself bravely, not showing any kind of fear, although Hyunjin was pretty sure, that Changbin had already found out about what Chan and Jisung had been talking about. 

Even if Changbin sometimes gave room for doubt – the boy was smart!

Bumping his friend's shoulder lightly, Hyunjin sent Changbin a reassuring smile, when the older looked up, trying to tell the other to not worry.  
They would get through this!  
Hyunjin would make sure of that!

Then he turned to Chan, only to realize, that the leader was already looking at him with questioning eyes, but his expression was already a little calmer than before. 

Squeezing the blond's hand gently, Hyunjin sent Chan a meaningful gaze, hoping, the older would get his message.

Whether the leader actually did or not, Hyunjin wasn't too sure, but at least, the features of the boy's face relaxed a little, the furrow disappearing from his brows and the corners of his mouth lifting up slightly. 

Giving Hyunjin a curt nod, Chan turned to Jisung, probably to include the omega on their silent reassurance as well.

Warmth spread like water through Hyunjin in soft waves, as he let his eyes wander over all of his friends' heads one more time.  
They were one pack! They could do this! They would win this fight!

His gaze got stuck on the orange hair of Felix, the younger alpha currently talking vivaciously with Changbin about something Hyunjin couldn't fully grasp. 

Looking at them like that, Hyunjin realized, that he couldn't see a difference between Felix and Changbin's conversation, compared to Chan and Jisung's.  
They looked alike, as if they all had been together just as long and hadn't just met only a few weeks ago. 

Currently, Felix was cheerfully swinging his and Changbin's intertwined hands back and forth while listening intently to something, Changbin was telling him.  
There was a smile on both boys' faces and the fact brought one to Hyunjin's lips as well.

They had been running for so long, he had forgotten, what it felt like to trust, to relax. 

But now, the memories of what safety meant, seemed to come back to him, embracing him with their warm arms and cradling him like a child.  
It felt nice! Really nice!  
He didn't want to let it go again – ever!

Determined Hyunjin made a promise to himself. 

He would protect this pack, would protect his friends!  
And with friends, he meant all eight of them. 

Maybe, their past would come to haunt them again, but Hyunjin swore to himself, that he would make sure, that this pack, along with all its members, would have a future to look forward to.  
Together!  
__________

They had crossed the river successfully for a second time, throwing their filled backpacks and bundles of clothes over the stream of water without a single casualty, and had started walking again, when suddenly Minho started sniffing the air intently like a wolf on the hunt.

Alarmed, Woojin turned towards his friend. 

“Min, what is it?”, he asked in concern. 

His worry only grew, when Hyunjin began inhaling deeply as well, the same frown on his pretty face, as Minho had.

“Weird, it smells different from before, but I cant get behind, what it is!”, his friend eventually mumbled, brows still furrowed.  
“But I can hear something as well, sounds like scraping and grunting!”

“Scraping?”, Woojin questioned in disbelief.  
What kind of animal made such sounds? Or maybe it wasn't an animal?

“I can smell them as well, but I don't know what that scent belongs to either!”, Hyunjin added silently, nose still scrunched up in concentration, as he sniffed the air one last time.  
By now, it had gotten a little colder around them, since they were deeper within the forest and their clothes wet for the bigger part. 

Woojin's Pants were clinging to his legs uncomfortably.  
He couldn't wait to get them off, as soon as they would get back home!

In that moment, Jisung cleared his throat. 

“Guys?”, he asked, voice sounding careful.  
“I think, I know, what you are talking about!”

His words got interrupted by the increasing volume of weird noises, coming from their right.  
And when Woojin turned around, along with Minho, who was standing beside him, he was able to see, what the younger omega had meant. 

A few meters away from them stood a huge sounder of about ten boars, looking anything but pleased that they had gotten disturbed by the seven humans. 

Two of them came a little closer, low grunts, disrupted by high squeaks coming from their fang-protected muzzles, and Woojin knew immediately, that this was not something to laugh about.  
Boars could become incredibly dangerous, if they felt threatened.

“What do we do?”, Changbin asked quietly, fear evident within his slightly shaking voice, something Woojin didn't blame the omega for at all. 

Chan had already extended his arms again, keeping his pack-mates behind himself to protect them from the two incoming boars, who now picked up their pace, heading towards them even faster.

“You run, Binnie!”, Chan answered with a surprisingly calm voice.  
“Now you run!”

And with those words - which Woojin couldn't agree more with - all hell broke loose. 

They all spun around as if on silent command and started sprinting towards the east, the two boars right at their heels, trying to catch up to them.

Running slalom around a few tree-trunks, Woojin frantically tried to come up with a solution to their current problem, that could eventually end pretty badly if he didn't act quickly.

“You know, technically, humans cannot outrun boars! Their four legs are way faster than our two!”, Jisung heaved loudly from his left, the omega trying his hardest to not fall back. 

“Thank you Jisung, I totally wanted to know that!”, Minho snapped at the younger mid run, his words outlines by heavy pants as well, together with dripping sarcasm.

“We need to climb up somewhere!” 

Chan's voice sounded from some random direction and Woojin thanked the heavens that at least one of his friends was doing constructive thinking.  
Rely on Chan to be that friend!

“Split up a bit, but not too far, and try to find a tree to flee on!”, he shouted, trying to be as loud as it was possible with his lungs working like bellows to serve him the needed oxygen for his sprint.  
His backpack was jumping heavily on his shoulders, crashing against his spine with every step.

Behind them, he could hear the harrumphing of the wild boars, along with the thundering of their hooves over the forest soil.

“Aye, captain!”, Jisung yelled back, jumping onto a fallen tree-trunk and using it as a step-stone to be able to reach the lowest branch of a old oak, that was growing within their way.  
Pulling himself up, Jisung immediately reached down and caught Changbin, who had followed him with a bold jump.

Knowing those two within safety, Woojin rounded the tree and kept running, catching up to Minho, who had been running in front of him. 

“Where are Chan and the others?”, he asked, his voice a little quieter now, since he knew, Minho would hear him nonetheless.  
Panting, his friend shook his head. 

“No idea!”, he curtly answered, apparently eager to save his breath. 

In that moment, Chan, Hyunjin and Felix broke through some bushes beside them, joining them in their run. 

“Are Jisung and Changbin with you?”, Woojin heard Chan ask, worry within his voice, so he was quick to reassure the blond.

“They saved themselves within a tree a few hundred meters behind us!”, he answered, satisfied, when Chan nodded in relief. 

“We have to find a tree or something as well, if we don't want to lose our lives here!”, Hyunjin threw in for consideration.  
The tall alpha had no trouble talking while running, his long legs enabling him to keep his fast pace with ease.

“Are they even still behind us?”, Felix wheezed, as he threw a look over his shoulder.  
Whipping his head around again, the orange-head clenched his teeth together, letting out a horrified yelp. 

“Jup, they are! Right behind us, if you wanted to know!”, he pressed pout, panic evident within his tone.

“Thank you, we didn't!”, Minho retorted dryly, suddenly making a sharp turn towards the right, probably to confuse the boars and therefore gain a little bit of advance. 

Following his friend, Woojin began running curves and turns as well, his ears telling him of Chan and the others, who were doing the same, filling the forest around them with sounds of soles sliding over foliage and heavy pants.

After a while, the grunting and shuffling behind them faded away, allowing Woojin to come to a sliding stop.  
When he turned around, the boars were nowhere to be seen, the forest laying before them in utter silence, undisturbed as if their chase on life or death had never happened.

Woojin's breath was heavy and uneven.  
Normally, he had a lot of stamina, but the sprint had been pretty long and combined with the adrenaline of having to run from something for once, instead of chasing after it, it had drained him more than usually. 

His legs felt a little like the run had turned his bones and muscles into liquid, shaking slightly, as he tried to remain upright.  
Relieved he swiped the sleeve of his jacket over his forehead to get rid of the sweat that had gathered there, the abrupt labor having dispelled the chill of fall.

A cracking sound behind him let him flinch in shock, but when he turned around, it was only Minho, who appeared behind a bush, panting in a similar way to Woojin. 

“Finally they gave up!”, the alpha groaned, letting himself plop down on the mossy ground to rest for a second.  
“I though we would end up as boar-food today!”

Chuckling, Woojin heaved one last deep breath, his heart slowly beginning to beat at a normal pace again.

“We were lucky, I guess!”, he answered while letting his gaze wander around in the hope of spotting Chan, Hyunjin or Felix.  
“But I'm surprised anyway, that they were this aggressive. Normally they don't attack us, unless it's the earlier part of the year and they have offspring!”

“Well, I guess everyone can have a bad day once in a while!”, Minho retorted as he leaned back on his hands, tipping his head back to let the fresh air cool his damp temples.

“There you are!” 

At hearing Felix call, Woojin turned around, smiling when he saw Chan and Hyunjin step out from behind a tree right after the orange-haired alpha.

“Glad to know, you all made it out alive!”, he joked, sending Chan a short look, which the blond didn't catch though.  
Instead he was busy looking around, black eyes slightly widened.

“Not to spoil everyone's mood, but has any of you any idea, where we are?”, he asked clueless, as he made a 360 degree turn on his spot. 

Now, that Chan mentioned it, Woojin, too, had to realize, that during their flight, they had completely left their original path, now standing within a part of the forest, that he had never seen before.  
Throwing a quick glance over to Minho, Woojin could recognize the same unsure expression on the other alpha's face.

“Well, not exactly...”, Woojin finally answered Chan.  
Then he looked over to Felix, who hadn't said much yet, since he had arrived, together with Chan and Hyunjin. 

“But we have Felix! His sense of direction is phenomenal!” 

It was true! Felix was able to find his way home from every possible part within the forest around the apartment-tower, day or night.  
It was as if the freckled alpha had a inner compass, that showed him the right direction. 

Now, however, Felix immediately put his hands up in objection.

“Uh uh, you do not want me navigating!”, he protested, eyes wide.  
“I'll accidentally navigate us off a cliff or something! My good sense of direction only applies to places I've been to at least once!”

A deep sigh came from Hyunjin's position. 

“I'll go call Sungie and Binnie!”, he mumbled towards Chan, the blond only nodding in approval, before the tall alpha disappeared behind a few bushes.  
Only a few seconds later, a loud whistle could be heard, which echo resounded through the forest, fading away in the distance.  
A moment passed, before a faint answer could be heard, Hyunjin responding with another whistle to guide Jisung and Changbin and show them the way towards their group. 

Raising his brows, Woojin turned towards Chan.

“You really can communicate like this?”, he asked.  
Nodding, Chan adjusted the position of his backpack. 

“Since we were out and about often, we needed a way to find each other, in case one of us got lost, so we developed a simple system that worked even over certain distances.”, the blond explained.  
“Whistling is a sound that gets carried pretty far, even over miles, if you do it loud and high enough, so it worked for us.”

“But back then when Changbin called you for help back then when we were still enemies, he didn't whistle!”, Minho suddenly piped up from the ground.  
“How did you know, your friends needed you?”

Frowning, Woojin recalled the day his friend was talking about and realized, that Minho was right.  
Back then, Chan had simply showed up suddenly, but his friends hadn't called him in any way.  
At least not, that Woojin remembered.

A grin spread on Chan's face, and he rid himself of his backpack to be able to reach into the side-pocket of the bag, pulling his hand back with a triumphing sound leaving his lips.

“He did call me, but with this!”, he answered, holding his hand out to show Woojin, Minho and Felix, who by now hat seated himself beside Woojin's friend, what he was holding.  
Inspecting the thing, Woojin sucked in a short breath.

“That's a walkie-talkie, isn't it?”, he questioned, getting an approving nod from the other leader.

“We found two of them within an abandoned police station once.”, the blond boy narrated.  
“To our big surprise, their batteries still worked, so we adjusted some features a bit to be able to use them as communicators in times of need, but only for emergencies!”

“That is insanely cool!”, Felix commented his mouth opened slightly in awe.  
“I wouldn't even know how to use them, let alone 'adjust some features'!”

Letting out a soft laugh, Chan let the advice slide back within his backpack. 

“Binnie and me worked on them for quite some time,”, he admitted. “but eventually, it worked out!”

The soft noise of leaves rustling interrupted their conversation, before Hyunjin joined them again.

“They should be here any minute!”, he announced, his words getting confirmed when only a moment later, fast steps and loud pants echoed over to them, seconds before Jisung bolted through the branch-wood of a few bushes behind Hyunjin, closely followed by a wheezing Changbin.

Both boys had leaves within their tousled hair and Jisung was even sporting a scratch on his left cheek, but other than that, they seemed unharmed.

“Finally we found you!”, Jisung exclaimed as he stopped beside Hyunjin, before supporting himself on his knees to catch his breath again. 

Changbin didn't waste any time to strip himself off his backpack and throw himself on the ground beside Felix, his broad chest heaving with every pant.

“I swear to god, Sungie, next time, I'll hold onto your leg until you either slow down or carry me!”, the short omega pressed out while closing his eyes in exhaustion.  
“You run way too fast!”

Rolling his eyes, Jisung straightened his posture again, ignoring Changbin completely and instead setting his gaze on Chan.

“So,”, he asked. “what now?”

Scrambling to his feet again, Minho carded a hand through his black bangs. 

“Well, since we got ourselves lost, I guess we'll have to camp outside today!”, the alpha answered dryly while dusting his pants off.

Shaking his head, Woojin chimed in. 

“Oh come on guys, we're not lost!”, he defended, although a small voice within his mind reminded him that he had now fucking clue, where they were.  
Nonetheless, he kept talking.

“We just ran a little towards east but it shouldn't be too hard to find our way back!”

Snorting, Minho motioned for him to go ahead. 

“Lead the way then, captain!”, he mocked, earning himself a disapproving look from Woojin.

“But if we're lost, shouldn't we rather look for...”, Felix started, immediately getting interrupted by Woojin, who had started walking into the direction he hoped to god was actually west.

“We are not lost!”, the oldest insisted.  
“We can just follow our own scent-trail back! Now come on, I wanna reach the apartment-tower before the night falls!”  
_____

They were definitely lost, a fact, that even Woojin had to admit to one hour later.  
An hour of successless straying around on the search for their original path. 

Which they didn't find.

“This is useless, we made too many turns during the chase!”, Minho voiced everyone's thoughts, as he halted his steps beside a huge beech that Woojin could have sworn he had seen before.  
But that was probably just because of the circumstance, that this was a beech-forest.

“He's right, we need to think of another way to find back to the apartment-tower!”, Chan added, gaze turning towards the sky, that was peaking out between the tops of the huge trees, now slowly turning a little less bright.

Sighing, Woojin nodded as well.

“You're right!”, he gave in, adjusting the right strap of his backpack, that, by now, was digging into his shoulder uncomfortably with the weight of the bag.  
“We need a different plan!”

Leaning against Hyunjin, Changbin stifled a slight yawn. 

“I suggest we split into groups of two and search around in different directions!”, he then proposed.  
“That way, we're able to cover more room at the same time and are faster!”

“Split up?”, Chan asked, sounding everything but delighted at the thought, but Jisung interrupted his leader.

“Sounds legit to me!”, the omega chimed in, lifting his arms over his head to stretch.  
“This running around is nothing but exhausting!”

Woojin had to agree with the younger on that one. His own legs were starting to get tired, and they still had some way left to go.

“But if we split up into pairs, that means one of us has to go alone.”, Felix reminded.  
“Who will that be? It's dangerous to be alone at night!”

“I can go!”, Chan offered but his words got drowned out immediately by a simultaneously yelled “NO!”, from both Jisung and Changbin, while Hyunjin shook his head vehemently.

“Nope! No way, we have better shit to do than search for you, too, additionally to the way home!”, Jisung countered dryly, while Changbin added: “In worst case, you find the boars again! Not in the mood to save your ass from that!”

A little confused and baffled at the same time, Woojin watched, how Chan opened his mouth with a slightly offended look on his face, only to close it again, when Changbin glared at his leader, his usually sparkling eyes holding an unyielding expression.

“Okay, did we miss something?”, Minho asked, sounding just as surprised as Woojin felt.  
Rolling his eyes, Hyunjin was the one to answer. 

“Chan-hyung has a terrible sense of direction, other than Felix and if you don't watch out, he could even get lost on the way from the stream back to the apartment-tower!”, the tall alpha explained, seemingly purposefully avoiding the disgruntled look, the blond leader threw him. 

Nonetheless, the blond didn't deny the fact.

Cackling, Felix patted Chan's shoulder comfortingly. 

“Don't worry, Hyung, we won't let you get lost!”, he grinned, earning himself a snort from the boy in question.

“Funny to hear from someone, who is just as lost as I am!”, Chan grumbled, but Woojin was able to detect the warm glint within the boy's dark eyes. 

“How about, you come with me, Chan!”, Woojin suggested.  
He liked being around the other leader and if they needed to make one group, that contained three of them, Chan could come with him and Minho. 

Giving in, Chan agreed with a nod.

“Great, let's go then!”, Jisung exclaimed before jumping over to Minho.  
It was a miracle to Woojin, how the omega still had so much energy.  
And on top of that, the boy still looked light on his feet, even though his backpack should be weighing him down just as much, as Woojin's own bag did to him. 

But apparently, the laws of physics didn't apply to Jisung.  
Woojin figured, he should be used to that fact by now.

“Minho-hyung, let's team up!”, the omega then proposed, baffling Woojin, and seemingly Minho as well as the other alpha looked utterly flabbergasted at the younger's words.

Before the alpha could answer, however, Felix cut in, a wide grin on his face once again. 

“Great!”, he chimed, turning towards Changbin and Hyunjin, who were still standing close to each other, the taller supporting the omega's weight with his own body.  
Pointing at them, Felix added: “Can I come with you guys then?”

Immediately, there seemed to flood new life into Changbin's body.  
Had the short boy been tired before, now it looked as if this fatigue had been blown away by the wind, the boy standing up straight and with sparkling eyes of excitement.

“Sure you can come!”, he exclaimed, turning towards Hyunin to look at him for consideration.  
“He can come, right Jinnie?” 

He looked like an overexcited puppy to Woojin.  
Like Seungmin did sometimes when he discovered a new piece of knowledge to add to the already huge collection within his brain.

Giggling, Hyunjin pulled Felix towards them and put an arm around the freckled alpha, who looked completely fine with the interaction. 

“Of course! We'll be the first ones to find our way back home!”, he answered, his eyes scrunched up in a cute eye-smile. 

Apparently not wanting to be left out on their half-hug, Changbin threw himself on the two alphas, squeezing them both with his strong arms, until Felix looked like he would die from lack of oxygen any second. 

Tapping the omega out, Hyunjin didn't seem any better, although more used to the procedure than the orange-head.

“Binnie, no winning this, if you kill your teammates beforehand!”, the tall boy pressed out, heaving a relieved sigh, when Changbin let them go again to turn towards Chan and Woojin.  
The oldest was surprised to find the blond next to himself.  
He hadn't even noticed Chan changing his position and walking over to him.

“So, which group goes in which direction?”, Minho asked, apparently having rebuild his composure by now. 

Not giving anyone a chance to say anything, Jisung's hand shot up, pointing in a random direction into the forest that could have been south.  
But considering their current point of knowledge, it could have been east, west or north just as well.  
Or anything between those.  
Woojin honestly had no clue anymore.

“I call dibs on that direction!”, the omega declared, earning himself a shrug from Chan and an offended huff from Minho, who looked touchy that his own opinion hadn't been taken into consideration on the matter. 

Changbin wore an expression on his face, that made Woojin think, he would protest, just for the fun of it, but eventually, Hyunjin snaked his other arm, that wasn't currently thrown over Felix' shoulders, around the omega's middle and pulled him back, shaking his head slightly, as the short boy raised his gaze.  
After that, Changbin kept his mouth closed.

“Thank you for deciding for the both of us!” 

Minho sounded cranky, arms crossed in front of his chest. 

Rolling his eyes, Woojin almost groaned.  
Right now, his friend was only doing this for the simple act of bitching.  
Nothing more, the alpha just wanted to say something, defend his position, and it wouldn't be the first time his almost childish antics would lead to a fight, normally preferably between him and Seungmin, since his brother usually was the first one to respond to Minho's snark with equal pettiness.

But Jisung simply raised one eyebrow, as he turned towards the older beside him. 

“You got a better direction, just point it out then!”, he retorted dryly. 

For a short moment, Woojin thought, his best friend would actually point somewhere else, just to get his way, but then, Minho let his arms drop in defeat.

“Never mind!”, the alpha sighed, carding a hand through his hair again.  
“That direction it is!”

Suppressing a chuckle, Woojin looked towards Felix' group in question. 

“You guys wanna go somewhere special as well?”, he asked jokingly, but Changbin took it very seriously to actually pick a way, choosing the one that led into the complete opposite direction from Jisung and Minho's.

“Guess that one is ours then!”, Chan grinned while pointing into the middle between the two other groups, looking up to Woojin.  
For a short moment, the oldest thought to catch a glimpse of something within the other's eyes, that he couldn't quite place, something that looked like deep uneasiness or even fear, but only a second later, it was gone again, only leaving behind Chan's dimple-less smile and the unsure feeling within Woojin's guts that asked whether he had only imagined the whole thing or not.

“I suggest, we get going then, if we don't want to have to spent the night outside!”, Chan proposed, already having turned away from Woojin again.  
“Don't take too long and communicate through the whistles, then we should be fine and able to find each other again.”

Consecutive replies of affirmation could be heard, before Jisung and Minho disappeared into their direction. 

“Adventure here we come!”, Felix hooted, then he and his group vanished into the forest as well, leaving Woojin and Chan behind on their own. 

Heaving a deep sigh, Chan let his shoulders sag a bit.

“Please, heavens, let them all come back in one piece without setting the forest on fire!”, he mumbled, barely loud enough for Woojin to hear, 

Chuckling, Woojin shook his head while setting off towards their own destination. 

“Well, at least we managed to keep Jisung and Felix apart this time!”, he reminded, hearing Chan snort lightly from behind him, as the blond moved to follow him.

“Yeah,”, the other leader muttered sarcastically.  
“lucky us that both of them individually would never come up with stupid ideas!”

At that, Woojin wasn't able to counter anything anymore.  
He just hoped for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, we'll have the beginnings of some minsung!
> 
> i actually loved writing this chapter, because i really wante them ´to get lost and boars made the whole Thing a Little funnier. (don't mess with those things in real life, People. Jisung is 100% correct! Humans cannot outrun boars! Those beasts are hella fast!)
> 
> Also, i am sorry i use such Long sentences sometimes. It's just that my first language is german and there, it's normal to construct longer sentences. I try not to do it, but it's Kind of automatic...  
> On the other Hand, sometimes, i write very short and rough. I also apologize for that! I always try to correct my style of writing while editing, but some things just slip past me.  
> If you want to Point something out, feel free to do so!
> 
> Anyways, i hope you liked it and if you want to, id be delighted about some comments!;)
> 
> Stay save, mates!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angst and Panic attacks x3
> 
> Jisung is a suicidal squirrel, Changbin falls into a hole and they all love each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY I GET THIS DAMN UPDATE RUNNING!!! FUCK MY WIFI ISTG
> 
> Okay, im calm now...
> 
> Anyways, let's draw out the Revelation of the mysteries, because i love procrestination and Minsung!;)  
> And angst and Panic and shit.
> 
> WARNING!!!  
> NO SPACES BETWEEN THE PARAGRAPHS ANYMORE AFTER HALF OF THE CHAPTER!
> 
> MY COMPUTER IS FUCKING UP AGAIN AND DOESNT LET ME EDIT IT...

“Why did you wanna go this way again?”

Exasperated, Minho fought his leg free of another nasty tendril, which thorns seemed to love his pants too much to let them go easily.  
  
Not too long after him and Jisung had left the rest of their group, the forest around them had started to change, the trees getting smaller and the ground more heavily vegetated, making their steps way more difficult to plant without being at the risk of toppling over.  
  
Nonetheless, Jisung didn't seem to be fazed by this as he unblinkingly continuing to plunge forward.  
Minho was sure, that by now, the omega had to be scratched bloody at his shins, since the boy didn't waste his time with untangling the plants around his legs but simply ripped his feet out of their grasp.

“Because I think I'm onto something!”, came Jisung's muffled reply from the front, the boy not even turning around.  
  
Minho was about to snap at the omega, when suddenly, he recognized, how about a hundred meters in front of them, a wall of light cut the forest off, indicating the end of the seemingly infinite line of trees around them.  
  
“Hah, I knew it!”, Jisung yelled, setting off with a sprint that Minho had trouble following.  
  
He cursed, when another branch caught his leg before discarding the thought of having to keep his pants whole and running after Jisung, wincing slightly every time he heard the sound of ripping fabric.  
Hopefully it wasn't as bad as it sounded!  
  
Finally breaking out of the forest, he came to an abrupt halt to not crash right into Jisung, who had been waiting for him.

A triumphing grin was decorating the omega's face.  
  
“Look! I knew, I've been around here before!”  
  
Jisung pointed over the wide field, that lay before them.  
Following the boys finger with his eyes, Minho was able to detect an array of houses in the distance, along with the silhouette of an old crane, which he thought looked familiar but wasn't too sure from what.  
Frowning in confusion, Minho glanced at Jisung again.  
  
“Am I supposed to know this place as well?”, he asked, pretty sure, that he had never been here before in his life.  
  
Shaking his head, Jisung lowered his arm again.  
  
“Nope, just me!”, he answered curtly.  
“I've been here once during a trip I made alone, long before we even met. Found the village on accident!”  
  
Surprised Minho raised his brows but decided to save his questions for later, when he saw the now slightly orange looking sky that indicated the upcoming dusk.  
They didn't have the time to spare now.  
  
“So does that mean, you know how to get home from here?”, he asked to make sure, but to his disappointment, Jisung denied.  
  
“No clue!”, the omega replied.  
“But if there are houses, that means we can climb one to have a better view over the forest. The apartment-tower is so big, it should be visible from higher above!”  
  
Groaning inwardly, Minho felt like burying his head in his hands and just sleep for a few days.  
Of course it had to have to do with climbing again.  
With height.  
  
Why had he chosen to team up with the Jisung again?  
  
Disgruntled, Minho unfortunately knew exactly, why he had done that.  
Because, apart from the fact, that he was starting to enjoy Jisung's company, he had felt proud. So fucking proud, when Jisung – the omega with the alpha-complex – had suddenly asked him, an other alpha, that the brown-haired boy hadn't known for too long, to team up with him for a task they would be doing alone, just the two of them.  
  
It was the ultimate proof of trust Jisung could show him and who would Minho be to refuse that gift?  
  
Well, apparently a smarter version of himself, since now he knew, why his brain had told him not to do it.  
  
Because Jisung was the epitome of trouble, something Minho definitely didn't want to be a part of right now!  
Or ever, rather make it ever!  
  
Clueless of Minho's inner quarrel, Jisung set off towards the village, his brown hair matching with the color of the high-growing grass the boy was carding through to get to the houses on the other side of the field.  
  
Not wanting to let Jisung go alone in the fear of everything that could happen with him being unsupervised, Minho was quick to follow him, staying right at the boy's heels.  
  
A few minutes later, the buildings had already grown in apparent height, towering over them as they got closer.  
Unfortunately, Minho was pretty sure that at least three quarters of the houses wouldn't be of any use to them since they looked more than just unstable, half of their walls or roofs damaged or gone.  
  
Only two a little newer looking buildings on the right appeared to be in a slightly better shape.  
One of them was the house in progress, which had the huge crane standing right beside it, just about four meters away from it's outer wall.  
  
“Okay, so what do you think would be best for us to climb on?”, Jisung cut right to the case as he turned his head around to let his gaze wander over the crumbling facades around them.  
  
Heaving a sigh, Minho rubbed one hand over his face.  
  
“How about we look around a bit to find the most stable one!”, he then suggested, earning himself an approving hum from Jisung.  
  
“I'll go right, you go left and we meet again back here!”, the omega added before jumping away.  
  
“Jisung, wait!”, Minho called, unsure whether he should actually let the younger look around on his own, but Jisung ignored him, already inspecting the first building on his side.  
  
“Oh heavens, please protect him from himself and me from Chan's wrath!”, Minho mumbled under his breath before yelling after the omega.  
  
“Don't climb on anything before I'm with you again, Jisung I...”  
  
Cutting himself off just in time before the words 'I dare you' could leave his mouth, Minho bit his lip and exasperatedly carded a hand through his bangs.  
Then he turned left, starting with his own line of houses, while reassuring himself.  
  
Jisung wouldn't be stupid enough to climb an unstable building, now would he?  
__________  
  
“So is it true that you don't like your hair being touched?”  
  
Changbin had been jumping over a fallen tree-trunk, when he suddenly asked said question, baffling Felix only slightly.  
He had told Jisung about his dismay of others touching his head somewhere and it was no surprise to him, that, by now, the omega's friends seemed to have been informed about that as well.  
  
Nodding, he shoved a low-growing branch out of his face.  
  
“Yeah, it kind of makes me think that it's an insect or spider crawling over me and that makes it not very enjoyable!”, he admitted.  
  
Hyunjin threw him a short glance, before sending Changbin a warning glare, when the short boy opened his mouth again.  
  
“Don't even dare to ask him whether you could do it once! It makes people uncomfortable!”, he snapped at the shorter, Changbin immediately shutting his mouth and pushing his plush lips into a pout.  
  
A giggle escaped Felix and he couldn't help but ruffle Changbin's own black hair affectionately, the older batting at his hand in mock sulkiness.  
  
To Felix, the boy that was supposedly his hyung, looked adorable most of the time and nothing like the makeshift-leader he had first come to the apartment-tower as.  
It was truly a miracle how Changbin's character could change vehemently within seconds.  
  
“Can I touch your freckles then?”, Changbin suddenly asked, looking at Felix with a hopeful glint within his eyes.  
  
It caught the alpha off-guard a bit, but he nodded nonetheless, waving a mortified looking Hyunjin off with a reassuring gesture.  
  
“Sure, if you want, you can touch them!”, he agreed, bowing down slightly, when Changbin reached up to brush his fingertips over Felix's nose and cheekbones carefully.  
  
Enjoying the gentle gesture, the alpha closed his eyes, a faint smile tugging on his lips.  
It wasn't that he didn't like touches.  
Just not always and not everywhere.  
  
“Pretty!”, he heard Changbin whisper quietly, before the omega's hand pulled back, leaving his skin cold where his warm fingers had been before.  
  
Straightening his posture, Felix beamed at the older.  
  
“Thanks, hyung!”, he grinned, referring to the boy's muttered compliment.  
He felt happy, when Changbin returned his smile.  
  
“Okay, if you are done anytime soon, we could actually try to find our way back home!”, came Hyunjin's bemused voice from the side, reminding Felix of their original mission.  
  
They went on, wandering through the forest in silence for a few minutes before Changbin apparently wasn't able to stay quiet any longer.  
  
“Can we at least talk about something?”, the omega asked as he circled a tree.  
“It's so quiet!”  
  
“What's wrong with quiet?”  
  
Bowing down to pick up a weirdly-shaped stone, only to toss it away again a moment later, Felix frowned.  
  
“Not that I'm against talking but the silence can be nice once in a while as well, right?”  
  
Walking closer to Changbin to grab the shorter's hand in comfort, Hyunjin shook his head lightly.  
  
“Binnie hates silence!”, he offered helpfully.  
  
Cocking his head to the side, Felix looked at the two boys questioningly.  
  
“Why?”  
  
Changbin seemed a little embarrassed.  
  
“Because it sounds like loneliness!”, he mumbled barely audible.  
  
Still not understanding completely, Felix threw the omega another confused glance.  
  
“But we are here, though!”, he remarked.  
  
“Why would you feel lonely?” It didn't quite make sense to him, how someone could feel alone in the company of two other people.  
  
“It's not that I feel lonely!”, Changbin corrected.  
“It's just, that the silence reminds me of loneliness and I don't like the feeling that comes along with the memory of that!”  
  
For a few seconds, Felix only stared at the omega, trying to understand what the older was explaining to him.  
It wasn't easy, but then, eventually, he realized something.  
  
“So that means, silence is the same for you as for me someone touching my hair!”, he concluded slowly before throwing Changbin and Hyunjin an unsure look, his heart jumping happily, when both started smiling at his comparison.  
  
Now, if it was like that, Felix was able to understand it just fine.  
  
“Yeah, you can say it like that!”, Changbin nodded, apparently just as relieved, that Felix had gotten his feelings.  
  
“Okay, then let's keep...” 'Talking' was what Felix had meant to say, but his words got stuck within his throat, when suddenly, the ground disappeared from right beneath his feet.  
  
Well, not entirely, but for a short moment, out of the corner of his eyes, it really looked like it since the slope in front of him descended pretty abruptly, almost robbing him of his balance.  
  
Letting out a sigh, Felix was glad, that he hadn't slipped, since the ground, covered in foliage, looked wet, when suddenly, Changbin, who had come to a halt beside him, sucked in a sharp breath.  
  
“Is that a cave?”, the omega asked, voice sounding incredulous, as he pointed at a small rock-formation at the foot of the hill they were standing on.  
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Felix was able to recognize a dark looking hole between two of the gray stones.  
  
“I think so?”, he carefully replied, only to get tuned out by Changbin's excited yell.  
  
“We have to go and look at it properly!”, the short boy exclaimed, already jumping forward and surf down the slope on a wave of brown leaves.  
  
“Hyung, wait!”, Hyunjin shouted after the older, following him immediately and Felix didn't want to be the one to stay behind, so he, too, stumbled down the hillside.  
Almost slipping in the process, he was able to catch himself just in time to not crash right into Hyiunjin, who had stopped at the bottom of the slope.  
Together, they hurried after Changbin, who had already reached the dark looking hole, that indeed seemed to mark the entrance to a cave.  
  
Up close, it looked even more like the doorway towards hell to Felix than it had from afar.  
  
Mouth hanging open in awe, Changbin was staring down into the void, seemingly not afraid in the slightest.  
  
“I definitely, absolutely have to go down there and explore it!”, he mumbled in determination, his words almost making Felix choke.  
  
“I definitely, absolutely think, that's a terrible idea, that will get you killed!”, he retorted.  
He was sure, that his voice wasn't concealing his growing panic in the slightest.  
  
Hyunjin stayed silent, only continuing to stare into the cave, as if time would enable him to see anything within the darkness.  
  
“Oh come on, where did your adventurous spark go that brought you up the highway?”, Changbin teased him, discarding his backpack on the ground before stepping forward and slowly groping his way into the void, his form disappearing between the rocks.  
  
“Oh come on!”, Felix groaned, letting his head fall backwards in frustration to look at the sky, that was shimmering through the tree-tops.  
  
If there was something he definitely was not in the mood for, then that would be crawling into a dark cave, that was probably filled with everything he despised, starting with spiders, going over bugs and ending with cockroaches.  
  
Nope, he wouldn't set a foot into this hellhole!  
  
“You coming?”, Hyunjin asked from in front of him, the alpha already having stripped himself of his bag as well, waiting at the entrance of the cave for Felix to follow suit.  
  
For a short moment, Felix really thought about staying outside, simply sitting down here and waiting for his two companions, but then, a deep sigh escaped his lips.  
  
“Fuck both of you!”, he grumbled as he, too, threw his backpack to the ground, his shoulders rhetorically moaning in delight of their suddenly granted freedom of any weight.  
Felix hadn't even noticed until now, how much his bag had been dragging him down.  
  
Welcoming him with a grin, Hyunjin waited, until Felix had positioned himself right behind the tall boy, before he turned around to step into the darkness of the cave as well with Felix right at his heels.  
  
Between the rocks, the air was considerably colder, immediately making Felix shiver, as he held onto the hem of Hyunjin's sweater tightly to not loose the alpha.  
  
Carefully taking step after step, they walked deeper into the cave, the ground beneath Felix feet slightly leading downwards.  
  
“Binnie, where are you?”, Hyunjin's voice echoed through the silence, promptly getting answered by a whispered “Here!”, from somewhere in front of them.  
  
Feeling goosebumps raise on his skin, Felix tried hard to not think about any possible animals, that could live down caves like this one.  
He didn't succeed completely.  
  
“We can't see shit in here!”, he complained, his voice shaking a little to his own dismay.  
  
“It's so dark, we could step right on a monster's tail and wouldn't even notice!”  
  
“Oh trust me, we WOULD notice!”, Hyunjin mumbled, yelping, when Felix hit the tall alpha's shoulder more or less lightly.  
  
“Thank you, Hyunjin, for not helping!”, he hissed sharply, but the boy in front of him only giggled faintly.  
Just a moment later, Felix heard him whine, when the alpha apparently had run into one of the walls.  
  
'Please, let me get out of this alive!', he begged inwardly, hoping someone would hear his prayers and sent him one of those guardian angels his grandma had always told him about.  
Although he wasn't too sure, whether only one of those would be enough for his current lifestyle!  
__________  
  
'This is so not gonna work!', Minho thought to himself, as he strove through the village, inspecting each house he passed.  
  
The longer he had been walking, the more he had gotten confronted with an entirely new problem to their prior solution of climbing up somewhere to search for the apartment-tower.  
  
The buildings weren't high enough!  
  
Sure, a few of them were stable enough to climb on – at least that was what Minho thought – but none of the smaller houses was big enough to let them look over the tree-tops of the forest, that surrounded the field they currently were on.  
If Minho was honest, he was pretty sure, the biggest building had been the one in progress with the crane next to it.  
  
Giving up his search, he sighed and turned around, heading back towards his starting point to meet up with Jisung again in the hopes that the omega had been more successful than him.  
  
The ground beneath his feet was vegetated with short, dry grass, that was more brown than green and didn't look soft at all.  
Every few meters, small bushes were growing out of the dusty soil and a few of the facades were covered in ivy, but other than that, no plants or animals seemed to have found their way into this part of abandoned civilization, giving the whole atmosphere an eerie touch.  
  
As if not a single soul, apart from Minho was living on this earth.  
  
On top of the lack of actual plants and the common small animals, like mice or birds, came the fact that the village was wrapped in heavy silence, only the grass rustling whenever he made a step.  
  
A shudder ran down Minho's spine and he suppressed the urge to turn around, the feeling of something following him suddenly invading his thoughts.  
No, he would definitely not run to Jisung now! He refused to run from something that wasn't even there!  
  
For heaven's sake, he wouldn't crumble because of a simple feeling, that made his guts squirm and his shoulders tense and his mouth go dry...  
  
Before Minho could actually realize it, he was sprinting down the way he had come, the damaged houses flying past him, until he finally reached the place again, where he and Jisung had separated.  
Slowing down, Minho inwardly cursed himself for being such a wimp, while he focused on his breath to get it to slow down again, along with his rapidly beating heart.  
  
He really made a great alpha!  
Running from his own imagination!  
  
Scoffing dryly, he gave himself a slight finger-flick against his temple, just to scold himself, before he let his gaze wander over the field on the search for Jisung.  
The omega was nowhere to be seen and the fact forced a sigh out of Minho, as he started heading towards the side of the village, Jisung had claimed to investigate.  
  
Hopefully, the younger wasn't doing anything stupid already!  
  
Making his way towards the big gray building, Minho let his eyes rank up the stony facade of the house.  
Apparently, it had been in the process of getting build, because it didn't possess a proper roof but was only a square-shaped block of two stories or less, towering over the rest of the village and the field like a lifeless skeleton of stone.  
  
Beside the building, the crane Minho had seen before, was soaring into the air, looking almost black against the sky, that was slowly gaining it's usual evening-colors, like orange and pink.  
  
About to continue his search, Minho turned away from both, when suddenly, his brain finally registered something his eyes had seen a second prior.  
Something, that let his blood freeze within his veins, but boil up at the same time.  
  
Immediately falling into a sprint, Minho dashed over the field towards the bottom of the crane, ignoring the sting of the thorns of a few bushes he brushed past on his way, his eyes not leaving the small human figure, that was currently working its way up the metal structure.  
  
Reaching the crane, Minho came to a skidding halt, stumbeling a few steps backwards again to be able to look up to Jisung better without having to tilt his head too widely.  
He stopped right beside Jisung's discarded backpack.  
  
“Jisung, what in the name of the heavens are you doing up there!”, he screeched, unable to control the volume of his voice in the face of the activity of the younger.  
  
If Jisung were to fall from this height - the boy already being a few meters higher up than the house beside him was tall - he would certainly die!  
Or injure himself severely, Minho wasn't too sure, which one would be the better option in this case.  
  
Stopping his climbing, Jisung peaked down at the alpha.  
  
“I'm trying to get a better view!”, he yelled back, his voice sounding slightly muffled to Minho, since the omega was so far away.  
  
“Wasn't that the exact thing I told you not to do?!”, Minho screamed up, now anger taking over his body, his inner wolf already starting to stir again with a growl.  
It had been a while for him to feel this enraged.  
  
“Did you really think, I'd listen?”, Jisung shouted back, stripping Minho of any possible comeback, because the omega was right!  
  
How could Minho possibly have assumed, that Jisung wouldn't do anything like this?  
  
The omega always came up with stupid and dangerous ideas, how could Minho possibly Have believed, that sending Jisung in the direction of a fucking crane wouldn't lead to a scenario like this one?  
  
Adventurous, vivacious, height-loving Jisung, who had the self-preservative tendencies of a suicidal squirrel!  
  
Minho was ready to slap himself.  
  
“Relax, Hyung, I'll be down in a bit, just let me climb a little bit higher real quick! I'm almost able to look over the trees already!”, Jisung assured from above, before continuing his way up without another word.  
  
Minho let out a hysterical sounding laugh of disbelief.  
  
“Relax?”, he hissed out breathily. “Relax? Are you fucking serious? Jisung this is not funny!”  
  
His palms were already moist because the simple presentation of height right in front of him was enough to make his head spin and his warning-signals starting to blare.  
  
Ignoring him completely, Jisung suddenly let out a pleased shout.  
  
“Hyung, I can see it! I can see the apartment-tower!”, he cheered, sounding even quieter than before, since he was even higher up now and looked terrifyingly small from Minho's point of view.  
  
“Great, then memorize the direction and get your ass back down!”, Minho yelled back.  
  
His tone was sharper than intended, but he couldn't really help it in the face of the fact, that Jisung was currently risking his life, whether he was aware of it or not.  
  
“Sure sure, I'm coming!”, Jisung replied before starting to move towards the ground again, making Minho heave a relieved sigh, although his body stayed tense.  
  
“Watch out for any unstable rundles!”, he just shouted up, to be of any kind of help, since he felt entirely useless just standing at the bottom and waiting, when suddenly, his words gut cut off by an ear-piercing crack.  
  
The bottom half of the ladder, Jisung had been standing on, hurdled downwards only a second later and collided with the ground beneath so vehemently that the whole village seemed to shake under the vibrations, a huge cloud of dust rising into the air.  
  
Minho's ears were ringing from adrenaline and the immense noise.  
He was more than glad, that he had been standing a little more to the left of the crane and a few meters away, because otherwise, he surely would have lost his life just then.  
  
But his relief vanished into thin air, as soon as his first wave of shock died down and realization hit him.  
  
“JISUNG!”  
  
The screech had left his lips before he could do anything against it.  
Blinking his eyes rapidly while trying to see through the stir the broken ladder had caused, Minho felt his heart almost jump out of his chest, with how vehemently it was beating.  
His stomach was a hard knot of fear, getting tighter and tighter with every second and he felt close to passing out.  
  
What if Jisung was dead?  
What if the omega hadn't been up high enough to escape the fall?  
  
The thoughts made Minho feel sick, and he had to suppress a gag as his whole body convulsed.  
He had to be alive! He just had to be!  
  
“Jisung, dammit, answer me!”, he yelled again, his voice cracking slightly at the end.  
Why wasn't the omega answering?  
  
Finally, the dust settled a bit, and Minho was able to make out the crane again, that still towered over him like a huge claw.  
  
Holding his breath, the alpha let his eyes wander along the metal structure hectically, searching for...there!  
  
He almost started crying from the huge relief, that washed over him, when he was able to detect the small human form still clinging to the rest of the ladder - many meters above the ground and seemingly just as shook, as Minho was.  
  
“Jisung, goddammit, answer me, when I call you!”, he shouted up to the omega but unable to feel any real anger.  
He was too happy that he wouldn't have to dig the boy's body out from under the broken pieces of the ladder, that lay atop each other to the cranes bottom now.  
  
“Sorry, I – I didn't hear you calling before!”, came Jisung's stuttering voice back, but sounding like music to Minho's ears.  
Talking meant the boy was alive!  
  
“I kind of remember telling you before to NOT CLIMB THE FUCKING CRANE!”, he shouted, letting his stress out over the volume of his voice.  
Even from down here, he could see Jisung flinch.  
  
“I didn't think, it was that unstable!”, the omega whined, still not budging from his position, and now, after living down the happiness and relief of Jisung's survival, Minho realized, that they had an entirely new problem to deal with.  
  
Because without the lower part of the ladder, how was Jisung supposed to get back down?  
  
Jumping was out of the question, since the boy was still even higher up than the building beside him, and although he could still climb down a little further to about the level of the top of the house, it still was too high up to safely get down from there without hurting oneself.  
  
The only possible solution would be...  
  
“I'm gonna jump over onto the roof of the building!”, Jisung yelled, his voice now firmer again as he apparently had lived his shock down as well.  
“Afterwards I can use the stairs inside. It looks stable from up here!”  
  
“As stable as the crane?”, Minho replied dryly, before he fully registered, what the omega had just said.  
  
“Wait no, Jisung, don't you dare jump!”, he screamed out, his legs already carrying him towards the building beside the crane, after hastily throwing his own backpack onto the spot, Jisung's was already placed at.  
  
The distance between the crane and the house amounted to about four meters and that was way too far to bridge it with one simple jump without any kind of momentum beforehand.  
Jisung would fly right past the safety of the building and crash into the many-feet off ground beneath him.  
The very one Minho was currently standing on.  
  
“Well, what to you expect me to do otherwise?”, he heard Jisung retort, and he stopped one more time, to glare at the younger, although he was pretty sure, the omega was not able to see him at the moment.  
  
“I expect you to listen to me for once in your life and wait, until I have found the entrance to this damn house so I can come up to the platform and we can think this through!”, he snapped, his words apparently finally silencing Jisung, because the boy kept quiet after that.  
  
Inhaling deeply, Minho now focused on the building, starting to walk along its side to find the entrance. When he rounded a corner, he finally caught sight of it, the opening within the stony wall not looking like it had ever had a proper door.  
Hurrying towards it, Minho jumped over the shrub, that was guarding the entrance, only to find himself within a dimly lit room that contained nothing but a lot of dirt, a few tufts of tenacious dandelions and a broad staircase.  
  
The stone, the latter one was made of, had a few cracks, but right now was not the moment to be picky about that!  
Hoping the thing wouldn't disappoint him with instability, Minho bolted up the stairs, each of his steps producing a hollow sounding plonk, but he ignored it.  
  
He passed another story that looked equally austere, until he the Exit finally appeared in front of him and he broke through it onto the platform.  
When his eyes got used to the brightness again, he had to swallow heavily.  
  
Even though this building was a lot smaller than the apartment-tower, it didn't have the same wall, that acted as a border between the platform and the abyss, instead just ending abruptly, where the house marked it's edge.  
Minho really didn't think it would make that much of a difference, but now, that he was standing up here, he realized how much saver he felt with the railing on top of their home.  
  
“Are you okay, hyung?”  
  
Jisung's careful voice ripped Minho out of his thoughts and his frozen state.  
  
Thanking the heavens, that the omega had listened to him, Minho made a few steps towards the side of the building the crane was at, to which the omega was still clinging, a few meters higher up than Minho's current level.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine!”  
  
Trying his best to hide the waver within his tone, Minho looked up to Jisung, focusing on the omega instead of the height.  
He was still about two meters away from the edge after all, no need to worry!  
  
“So, does that mean, I can jump now?” Jisung asked, only to be cut off again by Minho.  
  
“No, definitely not!”, the alpha snapped once more, slowly feeling his heart pick up its pace again as he thought their situation through.  
“You'd never be able to make it safely onto the building!”  
  
Sweat started dampening his forehead, as Minho tried to play through every possible solution within his head to be able to see the outcome.  
Unfortunately, however, his angst-ridden brain seemed to be incapable of showing him any other picture than Jisung falling, Jisung hurt, Jisung dying, Jisung...  
  
“Are you scared?”  
  
The omega's question surprised Minho and riled him up at the same time, a rush of flames erupting in his chest.  
  
“No, I have this terrified look on my face because I am having So. Much. Fun!”, he retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
Trying to hide his fear from the younger was useless now anyways.  
  
“Of course I'm fucking scared! You are literally hanging about eighty feet above the ground on a metal piece of shit, that could crash any second!”  
  
At least Jisung had the decency to look guilty.  
  
“I'm sorry!”, the omega mumbled, barely audibly for Minho.  
“I really thought it would stay intact!”  
  
Rubbing his hands over his face in a stressed manner, Minho groaned.  
  
“It doesn't matter now, Sungie!”, he replied a little calmer.  
Guilt-tripping Jisung now, after the damage was done anyways, wouldn't solve their problem.  
“Now we have to get you down from there somehow!”  
  
He already knew, what he had to do.  
He had known it all along, ever since he had sprinted up the stairs, but the thought terrified him to the wits.  
  
He would have to catch Jisung somehow.  
  
“Jisung, you'll have to jump!”  
  
Alright, now Minho's voice was shaking and there wasn't a single thing he could do against it.  
  
“That's what I...”, the omega started but Minho interrupted him by adding: “And I will grab your arm to pull you up, once you get near me!”  
  
Shortly, there was silence between them, only interrupted by Minho's slightly ragged breaths.  
But then, Jisung nodded.  
  
“Guess you are right, the distance is probably a little too far for me alone!”, the omega admitted, shifting slightly to adjust his position on the ladder.  
From his spot on the roof, Minho could see the knuckles of the boy's hands, that had whitened from their strong grip onto one of the rundles.  
  
Exhaling, Minho prepared himself to step closer to Jisung, but suddenly, his feet wouldn't move anymore as if they had turned into stone, morphing together with the ground beneath him.  
  
Trying again, he was able to scoot a little closer towards the edge with wobbly legs, but when he finally was able to throw a look downwards he recoiled with a panicked yelp, sinking to his knees in fear.  
His stomach was churning once more, his head a spinning mess, making him feel dizzy.  
  
Although he knew that he wouldn't fall, his brain was firmly convinced that he was going to die if he would take even just one more step.  
  
“Minho, calm down, look at me!”  
  
Jisung's soothing voice sounded far away somehow, but Minho tried to listen to it nonetheless.  
  
“You are panicking and we can't afford that right now! I know, it's not easy, but I need your help, so I need you to try and act normal.”  
  
“For this kind of situation, the most normal thing would be to panic, so technically, I can panic!”, Minho whimpered, closing his eyes so he would get his head to finally stop spinning.  
  
“No! Not like that!”, Jisung interrupted him.  
“Try to pretend, it's a normal day. Maybe that way, you can relax better!”  
  
Minho attempted to snort dryly, but it sounded more like the sound a dying animal would make.  
  
“My 'normal' today consisted of a lot of panic!”, he retorted, voice still high pitched, but at least the dizziness was starting to fade a little.  
  
A loud groan could be heard from Jisung.  
  
“Would you please cooperate!” The omega yelled exasperatedly, only to get a prompt reply from Minho.  
  
“When a person is panicking, they are not apt to cooperate very well!”, he screamed back, desperately trying to get his beating heart to slow down as well.  
The discussion with Jisung was somewhat really soothing him a little with how common their bickering was.  
  
Before Jisung could start another counter-attack however, Minho opened his eyes again, this time not making the mistake of looking down but instead fixating his gaze on Jisung.  
  
“Alright, I think, I've calmed down a bit!”, he informed the omega, working hard to prevent his voice from cracking at the end. He was anything but calm, but right now, they had bigger problems than his fear of heights.  
  
“Whenever you are ready!”, Jisung answered.  
  
He sounded exhausted and the realization hit Minho, that the omega had been clinging to the ladder the whole time, a position that was sure to be a lot more strength-demanding than just standing on the top of a building.  
  
Swallowing, Minho pushed himself onto his unsteady feet again and stepped even closer to the edge, desperately trying to not look down and have another metal breakdown.  
  
He was about to say 'Ready!' when suddenly an entirely different thought hit him.  
A thought, that made his insides twist in an even worse manner than the abyss did.  
  
“Jisung,”, he started, his voice almost failing him. “what if I don't manage to catch you?”  
  
The simple idea was more mortifying than every height or deepest water could ever be.  
  
What if he let Jisung literally slip through his fingers?  
  
Jisung would die!  
Die! This wasn't one of their fun games they usually played. In this, if he failed, it was over. Now, loosing meant death and that knowledge broke down over Minho like a heavy wave, almost robbing him off his balance.  
  
“Minho! Lino, look at me!”  
  
Jisung's voice was firm but soft and the nickname made Minho pay attention immediately, his gaze clearing to look the omega directly into his brown eyes.  
  
“Breathe with me, in and out on three, yeah?”  
  
Trying to follow Jisung's simple instructions, Minho forced his ragged breaths to match the omega's counting, feeling himself get a little more composed through the newly gained oxygen.  
  
“I believe in you, okay?”  
  
Jisung smiled lightly after stopping his counting after a few seconds.  
  
“I trust you! We can do this!”  
  
Letting out one last shaky breath, Minho started to gain control over his body again and he nodded.  
  
“Okay!”, he whispered, not sure, whether Jisung had even heard him, but he guessed, it didn't matter now.  
  
Bringing himself into a stable position, Minho extended his right arm, tensing up his muscles.  
  
“I'm ready!”  
  
Jisung hummed in reply.  
He looked just as nervous now, as Minho felt, and the alpha got reminded of the fact, that Jisung was the one, who would die, if this went wrong.  
  
Although he himself would rather fall off this building than live with the knowledge that he had let Jisung die!  
  
“Attention, I'm coming!”, Jisung yelled, apparently trying to cope with his own fear by speaking louder than necessary.  
  
Focusing all his senses on Jisung, Minho narrowed his eyes slightly.  
His whole body could see, hear and smell only Jisung now, determined to catch the boy.  
  
Growling, his inner wolf awoke, this time not to snap at Jisung for once but to protect the younger, his instincts letting him forget his fear.  
  
'PROTECT YOUR PACK!'  
  
“One!”, Jisung counted out.  
He had moved onto the side of the crane that faced the building, having turned himself around so that the metallic structure was in his back, the omega's arms reaching behind himself to still hold onto it.  
  
'DO NOT LET HIM FALL!'  
  
“Two!"  
  
'PROTECT!'  
  
"- Three!”  
  
On the count of the last number, Jisung pushed himself off the crane and jumped towards the building.  
  
All muscles within his body hardening, Minho shot forward and closed his hand around the omega's arm, the boy – as predicted – missing the edge of the building by about half a meter.  
  
Hard thudded the soles of Jisung's shoes against the surface of the building, almost making Minho fear, that the wall would give in, but nothing happened.  
The house stayed intact.  
  
The momentum and the weight of Jisung almost dragged Minho down as well, when the omega fell into his arm, but the fear of accidentally loosing the younger woke unforeseen powers within him.  
  
With a loud roar, his inner wolf instinctively threw all of his weight backwards, enabling Minho to pull Jisung with him and landing on his back safely with the omega crashing down on top of him with a surprised grunt.  
  
Jisung's hipbone bore into Minho's stomach painfully and his weight pressed the air out of the alpha's lungs, but all of that paled at the realization, that cursed through Minho with the immensity of the relief a raging river brought after an endless drought.  
  
They were save! Jisung was save!  
  
Freshly-sweet scent embraced Minho, and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around Jisung's form, as he inhaled deeply.  
His heart was still thundering wildly within his rib-cage, only slowly calming down and his breath was rapid, as if he had just finished a hunt.  
  
The conscious part of his brain told him to let Jisung go again, before the omega would panic, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.  
The warmth of the younger felt so reassuring, so much like safety, that his own shaking body just wasn't ready to give that feeling up yet, just wanting to indulge in it a little bit longer.  
  
“Lino, you're crushing me!”  
  
Jisung's pressed voice sounded right beside Minho's ear, the younger's breath crazing the alpha's temple as a soft gush of air.  
  
Only now Minho noticed, how tightly he was hugging the boy on top of him and he reluctantly loosened his grip.  
What surprised him, was that Jisung still didn't smell panicked in any way, although Minho was definitely holding him down, even if it was in another sense.  
  
“Why didn't you tell me, that you were afraid of heights?”, Jisung spoke up again, still sounding calm.  
  
“Well, why didn't you tell me, you had a trauma of being held down”, Minho countered, cursing inwardly, when his voice still wavered a little.  
Since when was he this sentimental?  
  
“Good point!”, the younger mumbled into Minho's shoulder, before suddenly perking up a little.  
“Are you crying by the way?”  
  
“Am not!”  
  
Grumbling, Minho tried to swallow the lump within his throat and blinked his burning eyes a few times.  
He wouldn't!  
  
“Oh okay, sounds like it!”, Jisung replied casually and his words made Minho groan into the omega's neck, where he had buried his face, right beneath the younger's scent-gland.  
  
“God I hate you so much!”, he muttered exasperatedly.  
  
Even without seeing Jisung's face, he could sense the boy rolling his eyes.  
He could sense it.  
  
“You just saved my life!”, the omega stated dryly, his body moving a bit on top of Minho, probably to find a more comfortable position.  
Minho huffed.  
  
“Finding someone else to hate would be too much effort!”  
  
“And going through three panic attacks to save me wasn't?”  
  
Snorting, Jisung pushed himself up a bit to be able to look down on Minho, who was staring up at the younger with a slightly disgruntled expression.  
Letting go of the omega's body to point right at the boy's face and almost booping his nose with the gesture, Minho glared at Jisung.  
  
“See, this is why I hate you!”, he snarled insistently.  
“Nitpicking!”  
  
Jisung's whole body shook, when he let out a giggle, his face lighting up in amusement.  
  
“Sorry, Lino!”, he grinned before suddenly leaning down again and snuggling back into a stunned Minho, who carefully hugged the younger again, prepared to let the boy go as soon as Jisung would show any sign of discomfort.  
But Jisung didn't budge in the slightest. And Minho felt his heart picking up it's pace again, although this time not out of Panic.  
  
“Thank you for saving my ass!”, Jisung mumbled quietly, now sounding a lot less cocky.  
“I'm sorry you were so scared. I didn't mean to make you face your fear!”  
  
His honesty made Minho's eyes burn again and the tightness of his throat reappear.  
  
“No problem, Chan would have killed me, if I wouldn't have brought you back safe and sound, so I was basically doing it for my own sake!”, he replied hoarsely.  
  
Oh, how much of a liar he was!  
Minho knew better than to believe a single one of his own words. Not with his inner wolf preventing him from letting Jisung go. Not with the warmth spreading through his limbs.  
  
Shortly it was quiet, before Jisung's timid voice spoke up again.  
  
“Lino?”  
  
Minho only hummed in response, not trusting his voice at the moment.  
  
“It's really okay, if you cry! I won't tell anyone, I promise!”  
  
Jisung sounded reassuring and soft and Minho felt the lump within his throat only grow.  
  
“Shut up, asshole!”, he choked out weakly, his hands tightening their grip on the boy's body.  
  
Fuck all those stupid feelings spiraling around his heart!  
  
Then, he buried his face in the fabric of Jisung's black sweater and let his tears out.  
__________  
  
It hadn't been too long that Chan and Woojin had been ranging through the forest together, when suddenly, a loud whistle sounded from their right, coming from the direction Hyunjin, Felix and Changbin had headed off into.  
  
Immediately whipping his head around, a fearful expression spread on Chan's face.  
  
“They need help!”, he growled, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, as he stared into the darkening shadows beneath the trees, looking like he was trying to see right through them to catch a glimpse of what was happening with his friends.  
  
“I'm pretty sure, Felix just saw a spider or something.", Woojin assured the blond jokingly in the attempt to calm the other leader.  
  
For some reason, ever since his talk with Jisung from before, Chan seemed especially jumpy.  
  
“Probably, but I'd rather check nonetheless!”, the blond answered tensely, already setting off into the direction they had heard the sound from.  
  
Sighing, Woojin followed the younger, not wanting to loose Chan after what he had heard about the leader from Changbin and Jisung before.  
The last thing they needed right now, was having to search for one of their members too, on top of their way home.  
  
With the quick pace Chan - who Despite his lack of sense for direction apparently had perfected his skill of following sounds - was leading them with, it only took them a few minutes, until they found the fresh trail of the three other boys' scents, tracking it through the forest to the top of a hill that descended into a little valley.  
  
Right at the bottom of the slope, a small rock-formation was visible, the gray stones looming over the rest of their surroundings eerily.  
But what really made goosebumps appear on Woojin's skin, was the black hole between two of the rocks, looking as if the earth had opened up to swallow them whole.  
It woke old memories within him, that he could really live on without.  
  
Right in front of the hellgate stood Hyunjin, next to three backpacks messily thrown to the ground.  
The tall alpha visibly lightened up when he caught sight of Woojin and Chan.  
  
Rushing ahead, Chan reached his friend first.  
  
“Jinnie, what happened?”, Woojin heard him ask, before he, too, joined them, throwing Hyunjin a questioning glance as well.  
The alpha sighed deeply.  
  
“Well,”, he replied in a resigned tone. “long story short, Changbin fell down an abyss because Felix accidentally pushed him and now Binnie is stuck, and Lix refuses to leave his side because he feels responsible!”  
  
It took a few seconds for Woojin to take Hyunjin's words in, but when he finally did, he wasn't too sure whether he should cry or laugh.  
  
He compromised by letting out a choking snort.  
  
“How the fuck do you guys always manage stuff like that?”, he asked in disbelief, Chan beside him looking equally stunned.  
“I'm pretty sure, it's not even been an hour since we all parted ways!”  
  
“Trust me, I ask myself the same question!”, Hyunjin assured with a lop-sided grin.  
  
It made Woojin happy to see the alpha way more confident but now was not the time to celebrate that.  
They had a problem to solve!  
  
“So what could we do to help them?”  
  
Chan sounded clueless, as he turned his head towards Woojin to share a confused glance with him.  
  
Woojin wasn't too sure about the answer to that question, but he did know, that there was absolutely no way, he would set a foot into this cave!  
If he wasn't able to see, he usually panicked instantly and down there, he was sure, he wouldn't be able to make out a single thing.  
  
“I hoped you could answer me that question.”, Hyunjin gave back sheepishly while rubbing his nape.  
“I called you because I have no idea of what to do!”  
  
A deep sigh came from Chan's side and the blond buried his face in his palms, voice sounding muffled through his own skin as he spoke again.  
  
“Why is he stuck anyways? How deep is that abyss?”  
  
To Woojin it looked, as if Hyunjin was suppressing an amused smirk, the dark eyes of the alpha scrunched up into two crescents, when he answered.  
  
“He's too short to reach up far enough that we could pull him out just like that.”, he explained.  
Then his expression turned a little more serious.  
  
“Someone would have to climb down and lift him up a bit, but If I climbed down, I would be stuck as well, since Felix isn't strong enough to pull me up, and Lix himself is too scared to even touch the floor!”  
  
Worry shot through Woojin like a dagger.  
Felix had always been scared of all kinds of animals, like maggots, spiders, all kinds of bugs and other things.  
Now that he thought about it properly, it wasn't too surprising to hear, that the freckled boy was scared out of his wits, but Woojin nonetheless felt anger grow within him.  
  
Anger that he wasn't able to climb down that stupid hole and help his friend.  
  
Ever since Felix had joined them, the orange-head had had a special place within Woojin's heart, the younger alpha being a little weaker than Minho and a little more careful and timid than Seungmin and Jeongin.  
It had always somehow triggered Woojin's instinct to protect him and even though Felix was way more confident and balanced now, hearing, that the boy was scared, made Woojin's inner wolf start squirming in discomfort and empathy.  
  
“So that means, one of us has to climb down and help, right?”  
  
Chan's face looked lithic, as he asked, yet Woojin meant to smell a slight change within his scent.  
As if something was bothering the other leader.  
  
It was interesting, since this was one of the first times, Chan's reassuring and calming scent had shifted a bit and Woojin would have liked for Minho to be there, so he could ask his best friend and his enhanced sense of smell about it, but unfortunately, the snappish alpha was nowhere to be seen.  
  
Woojin assumed, him and Jisung had been too far away to hear Hyunjin's call for help.  
Or it simply took them more time to reach here.  
  
“Actually, I wanted to ask Woojin-hyung, if he could climb down, since he's the tallest after me!”  
  
The world around Woojin froze at Hyunjin's words and he quickly ripped his gaze away from Chan, where it had stuck while he had been lost in thoughts.  
  
“Me?”, he forced out, inwardly scolding himself for letting his voice crack and leaving his lips in a high-pitched tone.  
Clearing his throat awkwardly, he tried again.  
  
“Sorry, I...I...no! I can't...you know...”  
  
Even to himself, his stuttered words made no sense at all and Woojin pressed his lips together in annoyance, refusing to let his hyperventilating body embarrass him even more.  
Chan and Hyunjin were staring at him with halfway confused, halfway concerned gazes, still waiting for him to finish his mess of a sentence.  
  
Woojin wasn't sure, whether he wanted them to know about his fear, but no excuse came up within his short-circuiting brain and so he simply sighed deeply.  
They'd find out about it sooner or later anyway and he was starting to trust them.  
Also, maybe, if he would tell them about his secret, maybe that would get them to tell him theirs at some point.  
  
“Sorry, but I can't climb down there!”, he therefore apologized sheepishly, his hand going up to rub his nape, while he avoided their eyes.  
  
“I can't deal with not being able to see. I'd panic immediately and in the end, you'd probably have to save me, too!”  
  
When he dared to look up again, Chan's black eyes held a new kind of expression, soft and warm, the one he usually only looked at his pack-mates with.  
It sent a pleasant shudder down WOojin's spine.  
  
“Thanks for trusting us enough to tell us!”, the blond replied, a gentle smile tugging on his lips.  
“Sorry for expecting you to. I'll go, so don't worry!”  
  
The other leader's smile brought one to Woojin's own lips as well and he felt the soothing Feeling of safety envelope him, spreading through his entire body like wildfire.  
  
Why had he not wanted the other pack to know about his fear in the first place? It wasn't like Chan would use his weakness against him!  
  
“But Chan-hyung is a...”, Hyunjin spoke up, only to get interrupted by Chan clapping his hands together louder than needed, a seemingly warning look on his face as he threw the tall alpha a short glance.  
  
“Alright, let's get Binnie out of there!”, the blond exclaimed, sounding overly enthusiastic, before he stomped over to the dark hole within the rocks, throwing his backpack to the other three ones on the ground.  
  
“Is there more than one way?”, he asked over his shoulder, words directed at an unhappy looking Hyunjin, who followed him nonetheless, although the alpha's steps were a lot more reluctant than Chan's.  
  
“Nope, just a few meters into the ground before you'll trip over Felix!”  
  
Nodding, Chan turned back.  
Woojin could see the blond's shoulders rise and fall again, when the boy took in a deep breath, as if he was bracing himself for something.  
Then, he stepped forward and disappeared within the darkness, Hyunjin being quick to follow him.  
  
Their steps faded away and left Woojin behind within the silence of the forest, which shadows were slowly getting longer and darker.  
  
Now, that he was alone, he realized, how much the temperature had dropped, his breath getting visible as white clouds within the air already and his fingertips starting to get numb.  
  
Burying his hands within the pockets of his jacket, Woojin tinted his head back to be able to look at the brighter spots between the tree-tops, where the sky was shining through, the clouds dyed in the most beautiful colors.  
  
'Please let this end well!', he thought silently, watching his breath ascend upwards.  
Then he let out a loud whistle, starting to call for Jisung and Minho. Maybe the two of them had been more successful in finding their way home.  
He sincerely hoped so!  
__________  
  
“Lino, no offense, but my legs are starting to freeze off!”  
  
Reluctant, Minho removed his face from Jisung's shoulder upon the omega's whine, blinking his burning eyes a few times to get them to focus.  
  
He wasn't too sure, how much time had passed, since they had lain down here, but the coldness of his feet and the pain in his back, that was still pressed onto the hard surface of the platform, told him, that it must have been quite a while.  
  
It had taken him surprisingly long to stop crying and calm down again, the tears not wanting to cease.  
Now, his face felt unusually puffy and his energy drained, as if he had just run a few miles instead of laying around and wailing.  
Minho was pretty sure, he looked like a living mess right now.  
  
“If you get snot on my sweater, I will kick you!”, Jisung threatened in that moment, squirming a little as if trying to get out of Minho's hold.  
  
“And that right after I saved your ass!”, Minho replied dryly, his voice sounding as if someone was rubbing sand over stone.  
  
Untangling his arms from Jisung, the alpha allowed the younger to get up, him scrambling to his feet as well right after.  
“Also, what's with that new nickname?”  
  
Shrugging, Jisung pulled the hood of his sweater over his head and buried his hands in his pockets, apparently really freezing.  
Minho himself was already missing the omega's warmth against his own body, but he didn't dare to hug the boy again, afraid he might overstep his boundaries, if he did.  
  
“Dunno, it just came up when I mixed your two names!”, the omega answered through slightly blue looking lips.  
“You know, Lee and Minho!”  
  
Pulling his own jacket off, Minho threw the item at the omega without a second glance, his brows furrowed lightly.  
  
“It's still 'Hyung' to you, though!”, he grumbled under his breath, that was starting to get visible within the cooling air.  
  
Jisung rolled his eyes as he caught Minho's jacket, wordlessly using it as a cape to warm himself up before he muttered a small “Thanks!” in the alpha's direction.  
  
About to add something else, Minho opened his mouth again, when suddenly, a faint whistle caught his attention, his sensitive ears immediately focusing extra hard on any other sounds.  
  
Jisung seemed to realize, that he was listening to something, because for once, the omega kept quiet.  
  
Only a minute later, Minho was able to hear the sound again, it clearly coming from the direction they had left the others of their group at.  
  
“They are calling us!”  
  
Nodding at his words, Jisung pulled the jacket tighter around his shoulders.  
  
“Then we should hurry and find them. They still don't know the way after all!”, he commented as a matter of fact.  
  
Throwing the omega a scrutinizing glance, Minho raised one eyebrow questioningly.  
  
“Do you still know the way?”, he asked doubtingly, unsure whether Jisung had kept in mind, within which direction he had located their home.  
But the brown-haired boy only gave him a belittling smile.  
  
“Trust me, Lino, if there's one thing that I'm good at, then it's finding my way home!”, he answered, gaze wandering over the dark chain of trees at the end of the field before them, before he added: “From any- and everywhere!”  
  
Choosing to trust in the omega's words this one time, Minho nodded.  
A shudder rocked his body, when a gush of ice-cold wind hit him straight in the face, covering his skin in goosebumps.  
Man, fall really wasn't joking anymore.  
Not too long until it would snow, or so Minho assumed.  
  
“Here, thanks for letting me borrow it!”  
  
Switching his eyes back to Jisung, Minho noticed the omega holding out his jacket to him with a small smile.  
  
“You warmed up a bit?”, he asked despite his own teeth starting to clatter against each other.  
As long as Jisung was still freezing, he would rather turn to ice than warm himself up.  
But the boy only hummed assuringly in reply.  
  
“It's a bit better now, and since we have to hurry back now anyways, I'll be warm in no time!”  
  
Accepting his answer, Minho grabbed his jacket and pulled it on again, sighing contently when a mix of warmth and Jisung's scent embraced him like a blanket.  
  
“Alright, let's hurry!”, he then suggested, starting to move towards the stairs of the building, that had led him up here before, this time Jisung right at his heels.  
  
As soon as both their feet touched the grassy soil of the field again, they started running, picking up their forgotten backpacks on their way before bolting through the long blades of grass, that were wet with dew by now.  
  
It didn't take them too long to reach the forest, and they dove between the tree-trunks again, fighting their way back through the vines side to side until they entered the part of the forest again, where the ground was only covered in red and brown leaves of the beeches around them which made it easier for them to run.  
  
It was here, that Minho started to slow down a bit, catching his breath and trying to figure out, where the whistle had come from.  
  
Confused, he let his gaze wander over his surroundings, when suddenly, Jisung, who was right beside him, let out a loud whistle himself.  
Not even a minute after, an answer came echoing back through the trees, unmistakably coming from one certain direction.  
  
Minho was pretty sure, it was the one, Hyunjin, Felix and Changbin had been looking in, but he wasn't entirely certain.  
By now, he had lost every sense of direction again.  
  
“That way!”, Jisung stated superfluously, but Minho chose not to comment on it.  
Instead he simply started heading in said direction with Jisung following suit again, until they finally reached a slope.  
At its bottom they were able to recognize the dark figure of Woojin standing in front of an eerie looking cave between two rocks.  
  
Not wasting any time, Jisung jumped forward, sliding down the slope over the slippery leaves and coming to a halt right in front of Woojin, who welcomed them with a smile, as Minho followed.  
  
“Hey, you two!”, he greeted, sounding a bit relieved to see them.  
“Glad you found us. I was a bit worried, since you didn't come at the first signal!”  
  
“Yeah, well, we were kind of...busy?”, Minho answered slowly, his eyes set on Jisung, who had started to make weird gestures with his hands, eyes widened, as if he was about to choke on something.  
  
Cocking his head to the side, Woojin threw him a confused glance.  
  
“Busy?”, he repeated in doubt. “What were you guys doing?”  
  
About to reply, Minho opened his mouth with a smirk, when suddenly, Jisung jumped over to him and gave him a pretty hard punch against his shoulder, shutting him up effectively.  
  
“We found our way home!”, the omega exclaimed overly enthusiastic, side-shooting Minho a death glare.  
  
Minho only growled back, low enough that Woojin wouldn't hear it, while he rubbed the sore spot on his arm.  
  
He often underestimated it, but Jisung was pretty strong!  
  
“That's awesome news!”, Woojin responded, a smile spread on his face.  
Then, his expression darkened a bit.  
“We have to wait for the others though!”  
  
“Where are they anyways?”, Jisung asked in confusion, looking around.  
  
Minho did, too, but all he was able to see, were the four backpacks that were scattered over the ground in front of the cave.  
The cave!  
  
“Are they in there?”, Minho questioned, disbelief probably written all over his face as it was very evident within his voice.  
  
Shaking his head, Jisung started trampling on his spot, his body apparently cooling down again.  
  
“No way!”, he commented.  
“Channie-hyung would never enter a cave voluntarily in his life!”  
  
He sounded sure of himself, but Woojin gave a short laugh.  
  
“They are in there, though!”, he answered.  
“Changbin got stuck down there and now, Felix, Hyunjin and Chan are trying to get him out!”  
  
His expression darkened even further, as he added: “I'd like to help, too but I wouldn't be of any use down there!”  
  
Knowing, what his friend was talking about, Minho wordlessly stepped forward and bumped the older's shoulder softly.  
It was his way of comforting Woojin and his friend knew of that, shooting him a grateful smile.  
  
“Channie-hyung did what?”  
  
Jisung sounded disbelieving and a little edged, as he threw his own backpack to the ground, head whipping around to be able to look at the entrance of the cave.  
  
“He went down there?”  
  
Nodding, Woojin frowned.  
  
“Yes, is there a problem?”, he asked, his tone a little worried now.  
  
Jisung was visibly searching for words.  
  
“Well...”, he gave back, dragging the word a little. “you see, Chan-hyung has this condition...”  
  
Now it was on Minho to furrow his brows.  
  
“Condition?”, he asked.  
“What kind of condition?”  
  
Was that another secret of the blond? Would there be another mystery, that Minho wouldn't be able to get behind?  
Because slowly but carefully he was getting fed up with all of this.  
  
Apparently coming to the conclusion, that it didn't matter now anyways, however, Jisung heaved a sigh.  
  
“I gotta get down there!”, he simply stated, voice strained with concern.  
“Channie-hyung can't stand narrow places! He panics when he feels imprisoned by walls or anything of the kind!”  
  
Minho could practically smell the shock radiating off of Woojin at the omega's words.  
  
“He went in my place, since I panic in the dark!”, the oldest replied, sounding guilt-ridden.  
“Why didn't he tell me?”  
  
Sending him a small smile, Jisung shook his head.  
  
“And what would you have done?”, he asked softly.  
“Binnie is Chan-hyung's best friend of many years and since you couldn't go down there anyways, it was Channie-hyungs responsibility to help! It's not your fault, Hyung!”  
  
His words sounded surprisingly mature for the Jisung Minho had come to know over the past weeks, and apparently, not even Woojin was able to come up with a good response because the oldest stayed silent, only watching Jisung wordlessly, as the omega headed over to the hole between the rocks to disappear within it only a moment later.  
  
“Did you know about that?”, Woojin asked quietly, although Minho was pretty sure his friend already knew his answer.  
  
“Nope!”, he replied nonetheless, shrugging his own backpack off with a groan to relief his shoulders of the weight for a bit.  
“But since when were you this open about your fear?”  
  
Smiling softly, Woojin took one hand out of his pockets to brush his bangs out of his forehead.  
  
“I opened up to Channie before so he would understand why I couldn't enter the cave. It felt nice, so I decided to not hide it anymore. It's not like they will use it against me like my parents did!”  
  
Raising one brow, Minho looked at his friend.  
  
“Channie?”, he questioned with a smirk.  
“You moved up to pet-names pretty quickly!”  
  
Throwing him an unamused look, Woojin only snorted.  
  
“Well,”, Minho went on, not bothered by the older alpha's glare.  
“Jisung gave me a new nickname today, too, so I guess, we all grew closer somehow!”  
  
Now it was on Woojin to raise his brows.  
  
“He gave you a nickname?”, he asked in disbelief, probably still thinking about the times, when Jisung and Minho had been at each other's throats more often than not, even though that had decreased over the past two weeks.  
“How did that happen?”  
  
Sighing, Minho let his head fall back to look at the darkening sky.  
  
“Long story, my friend!”, he breathed, closing his eyes slowly to let them rest for a while.  
“Long story!”  
__________  
  
Chan felt his chest constrict as soon as he set foot into the darkness of the cave.  
Only two steps in and his eyes were already unable to make out any kind of features, complete blackness all around him as if someone had robbed him of his vision.  
  
The fact was relieving, since he therefore couldn't see the walls around him either but at the same time, the total void surrounding him made him feel somehow lost and helpless, weighing heavy on his shoulders and threatened to crush him.  
  
“Chan-hyung?”  
  
Hyunjin's hushed voice brought him back to reality and he forced himself to focus only on the sounds his friend was making to prevent himself from panicking.  
  
This was fine! There were no walls, no narrow spots! He was out in the open!  
  
That was what he told himself.  
Maybe, if only he repeated it enough times, he would start to believe it.  
  
“Jinnie, can you lead me?”, he croaked out, clearing his throat right after to not sound so desperate.  
“I don't want to touch the walls!”  
  
If he would extend his hand and realize, that the surface of the rock, that surrounded him, wasn't many meters away but only right beside him, he was sure he would loose his carefully build up emotional balance.  
  
“Sure, just hold onto my hand and watch your feet! The soil is kinda uneven sometimes!”  
  
Chan felt Hyunjin brushing past him with a gush of warm wind, filled with the alpha's aromatic scent, before warm fingers wrapped themselves around his own cold and sweaty palm, squeezing it lightly before a tug pulled him forward.  
  
That was what Chan had always liked about Hyunjin's body.  
It was always warm, no matter the circumstances!  
  
“Chan-hyung, duck a little!”, came Hyunjin's warning from right in front of him and Chan bend down just in time to feel the hard surface of stone chafe over the skin on his head, brushing his hair back a little.  
  
A new wave of fear cursed through him, but he brought himself to will it down, although the tightness around his throat stayed, making it hard for him to breathe.  
  
There were no walls! There totally were no walls around him, caging him!  
  
Suddenly, a soft sound caught his attention, followed by quiet murmurs and silent sobs.  
They made Chan's heart clench wit how desperate they sounded and even Hyunjin took in a sharp breath.  
  
“Seems like things have gotten worse ever since I left!”, the tall alpha murmured from in front of him, not stopping his movements and leading Chan closer to the sounds, until the blond was sure, that they were standing right beside Felix with how close the boy‘s crying was.  
  
“Hyunjin-hyung? Is that you?”  
  
Apparently the orange-heads nose was stuffed, because he didn't seem to be able to pick up on their scents.  
Chan on the other hand almost drowned in the sharp smell of distress, that was practically oozing out of Felix.  
  
“Felix, everything is okay now, I brought Chan! He's gonna help me get Changbin out of there!”, Hyunjin assured from in front of Chan and the blond felt the tall alpha's hand slip out of his own as he seemingly went to comfort a still crying Felix.  
  
Tapping his foot on the floor to make out the edge of the abyss somewhere before him, Chan carefully stepped a little closer.  
  
“Binnie, can you hear me?”, he asked into the dark, almost proud with how steady his voice sounded.  
Inwardly, he was working hard to not start hyperventilating, counting to keep his breath even while trying to not think about the walls around him.  
So far, it seemed to be working!  
  
“Channie! Thank goodness! I'm stuck!”  
  
Changbin's voice was wavering a little but nonetheless he seemed calmer, that Chan had imagined.  
For someone like Changbin, whose biggest fear - aside from snakes - it was to get left behind, falling into a dark hole where he was secluded from everyone else was something that must be close to his worst nightmare.  
But so far, the short omega appeared to be holding himself just fine.  
  
Although Chan knew from experience that he shouldn't judge his friend's mental and emotional state by the sound of his voice.  
He himself was the best example for that!  
  
“Yeah, I noticed!”, Chan yelled back, now bowing down to fondle the ground to find something similar to a handle, that he could hold onto to start climbing down.  
“Why were you in here anyways? I don't think, that's the right way home!”  
  
'Joking to keep yourself from freaking out! Nice move, Chan!', he thought to himself sarcastically as he finally caught hold of a solid rock on the ground and was able to push himself over the edge, his feet immediately searching for steps within the wall.  
  
Hopefully, he wouldn't fall. He wasn't too sure with how much space there was at the bottom and were Changbin was standing, and if he could somehow avoid it, he'd rather not crush his best friend beneath his own butt.  
  
“I just wanted to explore!”, Changbin's whiny voice echoed through the cave again.  
  
The sounds of Felix and Hyunjin had vanished over the time and Chan was pretty sure, that the taller alpha had brought the freckled boy outside to calm down.  
  
“Yeah, bad idea, really!”, he gave back, grunting, when he lost his footing for a short moment, before he regained his balance.  
  
“Better step back from the wall, Binnie!”, he warned.  
“It's only a matter of time until either I or a stone comes hurdling your way! In the worst case, it's both!”  
  
A low hum sounded from beneath him, but Chan wasn't able to hear Changbin change his spot.  
He rather not wanted to think about, what that meant for the available space down there and rather focused on getting himself down safely.  
  
Only a moment later, his feet finally touched solid ground again, and he let go of the wall with a relieved sigh.  
  
Hopefully, Hyunjin's arms would be long enough to reach him, because he certainly wasn't sure if he'd be able to climb up again.  
Down was one thing, but the wall had been pretty slippery and Chan really wasn't one to push his luck.  
  
“Hyung!”  
  
Strong arms wrapped around his middle and Chan couldn't suppress a smile that he was sure, his friend would notice despite the dark.  
Carding a hand through Changbin's soft hair, he hummed reassuringly.  
  
“I'm here Binnie, don't worry! Remember, I'm not gonna leave you behind!”, he mumbled softly, hoping his scent would work like it normally did and calm the omega within his arms down a little.  
  
“I never thought, you would!”, came Changbin's muffled voice back, the boy having buried his face within Chan's chest.  
A second later, however the omega pulled back a little.  
  
“I'm really sorry for troubling you like this!”  
  
His tone sounded apologetic and guilt-ridden.  
  
“I know how much you hate places like this one. I also really thought, Woojin would come instead!”  
  
The mention of the oldest brought another soft smile to Chan's lips.  
Woojin had trusted him with his fear, so he certainly wouldn't tell it anyone else.  
That was Wojin's job to do.  
  
But he wouldn't let the other leader down. That he knew for sure!  
  
He would help Changbin and leave this cave without a panic attack, so Woojin would never find out and feel guilty about it!  
  
“It's okay, Binnie, now let's get you out of here, alright?”, he replied in a calm manner, hoping his fake relaxation would be able to not only fool his best friend but also himself somehow.  
  
“Guys, are you ready?”  
  
Hyunjin seemed to have returned from bringing Felix outside.  
  
“Yeah, I'm gonna lift Binnie for you to pull him up!”, Chan exclaimed back, patting Changbin on what he assumed to be the omega's shoulder one last time, before he let go of him to lean against the wall.  
  
Changbin missed his stretched out hands two times, kicking him in the knees, before the omega finally managed to put his foot into Chan's intertwined fingers and was able to start climbing the blond like a ladder.  
  
Grunting a few times under his friend's weight, Chan willed his muscles to not budge, waiting patiently with Changbin on his shoulders, until suddenly, the omega was gone, lifted up by a groaning Hyunjin.  
  
A few shuffling sounds could be heard, then a relieved sigh.  
  
“Alright, that makes one!”, Chan heard Hyunjin mutter and he himself let out the breath he had been holding.  
  
“Chan-hyung, how far can you reach up?”, the tall alpha asked from above, motivating Chan to turn around and reach up, standing on his toes to be bigger.  
  
Nonetheless, he wasn't able to grasp anything, that felt even remotively like Hyunjin's warm hand and the tall alpha's labored breathing sounded way too far away.  
  
“I'm not tall enough!”, Chan stated superfluously and only saying it made it even more real to him.  
  
He was stuck! He was alone, in a cave, surrounded by walls and he was stuck!  
Caged!  
  
This time, he wasn't able to suppress the rush of panic that shot through his veins, letting him gasp like a drowning person.  
But somehow there didn't seem to be any oxygen left within this cave.  
  
“Chan, it's okay, we can get you out!”  
  
Hyunjin's voice seemed to come from even further away than before and Chan felt himself slipping slowly as he lost hold of the strings of his sanity.  
  
Then suddenly, rushing steps echoed though the cave and a moment later, Jisung's soft voice called down to him.  
  
“Channie, it's me! Focus on me, I'm here!”, the omega yelled and somehow, his words pulled Chan back a bit, clearing his senses at least so far, that he was able to make out his surroundings again.  
  
Well, minus the visual part!  
  
“Focus on my voice, close your eyes and breath with me!”  
  
Jisung's orders were so easy to follow, that Chan obliged almost automatically, starting to breath along with the rhythm that the omega was showing him with his own breath, the slight puffs of pressed out air filling the cave.  
  
After a while, Chan felt himself calm down a little.  
It wasn't much, but at least, he wasn't hyperventilating anymore!  
  
“Channie, tell me how you are feeling!”, Jisung demanded from above.  
  
And Chan didn't have it in him to fake right now.  
  
“Not good!”, he croaked, his voice breaking a little and his breath sounding labored right after, as if it had been too much work to get those two words out.  
  
“I know, Channie, it's okay!”, Jisung assured calmly from above.  
  
“You are scared right now and about to panic. That is normal, but I need you to function! I need you to focus on my voice and try to push yourself up a bit. If I'm not mistaking, it's only a few centimeters that you are too short to reach Hyunjin!”  
  
Taking in a quivering breath, Chan nodded, although the rational part of his brain told him, that Jisung wouldn't be able to see him.  
Nonetheless, the omega seemed to have picked up on his agreement.  
  
“Okay Channie, now trust me and focus on my voice!”, the omega instructed.  
“There is a wall behind you! Use it to push yourself up between the two walls, the one in front of you and the one behind you!”  
  
Immediately, Chan's breath quickened again, as he subconsciously reached for the wall behind him and was successful, his fingers indeed brushing over rough stone.  
He really was caged!  
  
“Channie, focus on me! Breath with me!”  
  
Jisung's tone was sharp yet determined and somehow managed to get Chan back again, at least a little.  
Panting, he spread his limbs to push himself up a bit between the two walls, desperately trying to will down his wave-like panic attacks.  
  
Centimeter for centimeter he worked himself higher, mind set on the firm words and orders Jisung was muttering from somewhere above him, until Chan finally touched warm skin, when he reached up.  
  
“Hah, got you!”, Hyunjin cheered, as his hand wrapped around Chan's wrist tightly, pulling him up until the blond was able to get a hold onto the edge himself, rolling over it and staying on his back on the cold floor.  
  
There was a stone pressing into his shoulder blade uncomfortably, but right now, Chan was busy with other things.  
  
His alarmingly high blood pressure for example.  
  
“Channie, you can run outside now, nothing is stopping you!”, came Jisung's sweet voice again, his scent enveloping Chan as he felt the omega bowing over him, soft fingers carding through his blond locks.  
Chan wanted to protest, to withstand his fear and leave the cave like a normal person, but a new spurt of panic blocked the rational part of his brain.  
Scrambling to his feet as fast as possible, he almost knocked his head onto the wall to his right.  
  
At the feeling of the rock being this close, Chan only muttered a quick “Sorry!”, before he bolted into the direction he thought the exit at.  
  
More than once, he crashed into a wall on his way, forgot to duck and hit his head or stumbled over a bump within the uneven floor, but eventually, soft light got visible at the end of the tunnel and Chan was able to break free with a loud gasp, his lungs filling themselves with oxygen again as if he had been deprived of it for the last few minutes.  
  
“Chan, are you okay?”  
  
After blinking a few times, Chan was able to make out the concerned face of Woojin in the twiglight and immediately, he felt bad again.  
He didn't mean to slip like this and make the other leader worry.  
  
“Yeah, fine, just not good with the lack of space in there!”, he joked, but his voice sounded weak and thin, threatening to break any second.  
  
“Yeah, I heard!”, Woojin gave back, his brown eyes still filled with worry and guilt.  
“I'm sorry I made you go in there! If I had known...”  
  
“It wouldn't have changed anything!”, Chan interrupted the older, a shadow of a smile on his face. He meant to make it more genuine, but right now, he simply felt drained.  
“It was my responsibility and my best friend! I would have climbed down there either way! Sorry for making you worry!”  
  
In that moment, Hyunjin, Changbin and Jisung's voices got loud from behind Chan and when he turned around, they were currently stepping out of the cave themselves.  
  
Changbin looked tired and had dirt on his cheek and forehead and Jisung was stumbling a little, but other that that, they all seemed fine, allowing Chan's heart to relax.  
His pack was save, he was save!  
No need to worry, at least for now!  
  
“Okay great, everyone's back!”, Minho cheered, his eyes looking heavy with exhaustion.  
  
His scent seemed a little sharper than before, too and Chan wondered what had happened for the alpha to be so tired.  
Although he assumed, that everyone was feeling that way right now.  
  
“Jisung and Minho found our way home!”, Woojin informed everyone and Chan was able to hear collective sighs of relief.  
He himself was one of them as well.  
  
“I suggest, we get moving then, if we don't want to have to camp outside!”, Hyunjin muttered.  
  
He didn't seem cold in the least, but Chan could see Jisung start to shiver and Minho didn't look too comfortable either, although the alpha was already wearing a jacket.  
  
Felix, who was standing right beside Minho - leaned against the alpha for support - was trembling, but Chan wasn't too sure whether that was from the shock or from the cold.  
He assumed it to be both.  
  
“Grab your bags everyone, let's head home!”, Jisung exclaimed while shouldering his own backpack again and burying his hands deep within his pockets.  
“There's still about an hour left for us to walk!”.  
  
His words weren't too encouraging, since Chan knew that Jisung had no sense for common time.  
Because the omega had grown up outside the city, he had only ever been taught about hours and minutes by Chan himself and since the blond hadn't had any watches to check, he was pretty sure, Jisung's 'hours' were way longer than just sixty minutes, but he chose not to comment on it.  
  
It was easier to just tell himself, that it was only one single hour left for them to walk through.  
  
Heaving up his own bag, Chan quickly threw Changbin and Hyunjin theirs, since they were laying right beside the spot he was standing on.  
The two boys caught the items with skill, both having expressions on their faces, that told Chan, that they were equally skeptical about Jisung's designation of time.  
  
Then they all headed off, Woojin leading them, along with Jisung at his side, since the omega was the only one, who knew the way, followed by Minho and Felix, the former having his arm wrapped around the younger's shoulders in a protecting manner.  
  
Chan was about to move, too, when suddenly, two warm bodies pressed into him from both of his sides, trapping him within an affectionate hug.  
Sweet and strong scents mixed to one, that smelled like family to Chan, and the blond couldn't help but smile despite his exhausted state.  
  
“Are you better now, Channie?”, Changbin mumbled into his left shoulder, the buff boy's strong arms holding him tightly enough, that it felt hard to inhale too deeply, but Chan didn't mind it.  
He had never minded his best friend's intense hugs.  
  
Humming in affirmation, he pulled his arm out, that was pressed against his side from Changbin's body and returned the omega's embrace, while he leaned further against Hyunjin, who was holding him from the other side, the tall alpha rubbing soothing pattern's into his back beneath his bag.  
  
Allowing himself to close his eyes for a moment, Chan let out a sigh.  
  
“Thank you!”, he mumbled quietly. He knew, they were aware of what he meant, even without him saying it out loud.  
That was what years of friendship did. At some point, you just knew, what the ones around you were thinking.  
At some point, you just knew them better than they did themselves.  
  
“Lean on us, too, hyung!”, Hyunjin whispered quietly, as if he feared for anyone else to hear, despite the others of their group already having disappeared between the tree-trunks around them.  
Normally, Chan would have been afraid of loosing them, but he trusted Hyunjin's sensitive nose to be able to follow their track.  
  
“I am!”, Chan murmured, slurring his words a bit.  
  
God, why was he so tired now? He hadn't done that much today, compared for what he had to perform back in the days were he and his friends had still been traveling around.  
He blamed the warmth of Hyunjin and Changbin, that was embracing him like a blanket, slowly threatening to lull him to sleep.  
  
“Leaning on us in a mental way, not physically, you dimwit!”, Changbin snorted from his left, his tone dry, yet gentle.  
  
As long as Chan could think, the omega had always been that way, uniting two opposites within himself.  
Rough but soft, strong but weak, small but so big at the same time!  
  
“Well, actually, I meant both but never mind!”, came Hyunjin's casual reply back, followed by a grumble from Changbin.  
  
“Guys, not meaning to be the mood-kill, but I really think we should start heading after the rest!”, Chan eventually interrupted them.  
  
When Hyunjin let go of him to step back and let him breathe again, Changbin letting his arms drop from their place around his body as well, Chan immediately felt the chilly air crawl under his clothes and form goosebumps on his skin.  
He already missed his friend's warmth and their proximity, but first they had to get home safely.  
  
Out here, the forest at night was a whole different thing from the forest at day!  
  
Nonetheless, he smiled again, when Changbin reached for his hand, intertwining his own small fingers with Chan's bigger ones.  
The omega's skin felt cold, but the blond payed it no mind, simply giving his friend's palm a soft squeeze, before he tugged him forward after Hyunjin, who had already started to trail after the rest of their group, that had disappeared from their sight by now.  
  
The moon had fought it's way through the clouds, now shining down on their path through cracks and holes within the leaf canopy, it's silver rays lighting up their surroundings a little and filling Chan's heart with a calmness, that he hadn't had ever since Jisung had informed him about the origin of the two strangers from before.  
  
Exhaling deeply, Chan let his heavy shoulders sag a bit, his backpack promptly slumping a bit deeper.  
  
Things were gonna be okay! There was no way, she would find him. He wasn't even sure, if she was still looking.  
Maybe she had found her peace by now.  
  
That was, what he told himself, as he followed Hyunjin through the forest, Changbin's hand safely held within his own.  
They were okay! They were save!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Campfire-stories and Minsung once again;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, my wifi loved me today! No Troubles while uploading this chapter!
> 
> Anyways, we're getting closer to the great finale (just kiddin, it's not that great, but nvm)!
> 
> I hope, you guys will enjoy this chapter as well. It's the last one that beats around the bush, i promise!;)
> 
> BTW: DID ANYONE WATCH THE NEW SPOT:KIDS EPISODES (SEUNGMIN'S COVER; JISUNG'S SONG AND HYUNJIN'S COREO???) THEY ARE SO AMAZING! I LOVE 'CLOSE'; ADORE HYUNJIN'S DANCE AND HIS TALENT AND I LITERALLY CRIED WHILE LISTENING TO SEUNGMIN'S VOICE IN 'START OVER'  
> (btw, did anyone notice, that it's the exact same song, that Woojin posted a quick cover of only one month Prior? it's on instagram...)
> 
> kay, im done with ranting now...:)

Throwing the tenth glance towards the main entrance of the hall, Seungmin started assaulting his lower lip with his teeth again.  
By now, he was already tasting blood from his constant biting over the past hour, but he couldn't seem to stop.  
  
Ever since the daylight had started to fade away, letting the shadows around the apartment-tower get longer and longer with every passing minute, worry about his brother and the rest of his friends had started to stir within him, growing stronger, the longer he sat within the main room of the building and waited futilely for their return.

Usually, Woojin was never gone for longer than a day, coming home before the night fell.  
Even the last few years, whenever his older brother had made the trip, along with Felix and Minho, they had always returned before the sky had turned orange.  
It was an unspoken promise between Woojin and him, to always be back before it got dark and now, that the oldest was breaking it, Seungmin couldn't help but be concerned.  
  
What, if something had happened?  
What if they had met an other pack and got pulled into a fight?

Of course, he knew, that it could simply have taken them longer than normal, since they were seven people this time and on top of that, they had to take care of two major idiots, but despite that knowledge, Seungmin felt as if thousands of ants were crawling over his skin from nervousness, while his heart fluttered uncomfortably.

“Minnie, calm down, I'm sure, they will be here in no time!”, Jeongin reassured him from his spot beside Seungmin.  
  
The young alpha was lying on the floor on one of their blankets and was playing with a few of his chestnuts, making it a competition to try and throw them within a circle of small stones he had set up about two meters away.  
In the beginning, they had been competing against each other, but Seungmin's talents were definitely placed somewhere else, just like his momentary concentration, which was why Jeongin had preferred to play by himself after many failed throws and a lot of spacing out from the Seungmin's side.

Seungmin huffed.  
  
“But what if something went wrong?”, he voiced his thoughts.  
“Woojin wouldn't stay away for this long without a proper reason!”

Rolling around to lay on his back, Jeongin poked Seungmin in the side.  
  
“Exactly!”, he exclaimed insistently.  
“Woojin-hyung will have a proper reason, but that doesn't mean, you have to assume, he's dead!”

“I'm not saying, he's dead!”, Seungmin defended, but couldn't help but throw another glance towards the door.

Groaning exasperatedly, Jeongin scrambled to his knees and grabbed Seungmin's face with both of his hands to squeeze it together and force the omega to look at him.

“I swear, if you look over there one more time, I'm gonna loose it!”, he grumbled, not letting go of Seungmin, who was trying to get the alpha's hands off his face.  
“It's not, like you can see them coming trough the walls! And they ain't gonna come faster because of your stares either!”

Pushing his lips into a defeated pout, Seungmin gave up and simply leaned his head into his best friend's warm palms. Radiating off of them was the wooden smell of the chestnuts, but this once, the omega didn't mind it.  
It was so unmistakably Jeongin, mixed with his scent of sage and another plant, which Seungmin couldn't name, that it felt comforting to be surrounded by that odor.

“I'm trying not to think about it, I really am!”, he assured quietly.  
“But they are gone for way too long now and I want them to come back!”

Jeongin's usually sharp and fox-like eyes softened a little.  
  
“I know, Minnie!”, the younger replied.  
“But making up stories, about what could have happened, isn't gonna help! We'll just have to wait!”

Sighing, Seungmin nodded, as far as that was possible with his friend's hands still caging his face.

“I know, I know!”, he mumbled.  
“Since when are you the mature one of the two of us?”

Grinning, Jeongin finally let go of him again and let himself fall back onto his butt.

“I've always been, you just failed to acknowledge it!”, he joked, immediately making Seungmin's heart feel lighter.  
Jeongin had always known, how to lift his mood!

“Sure, keep telling yourself that!”, he snarled back in a mocking voice, jumping his friend to tickle him, until Jeongin was wheezing under him, still trying to fight him off with his last breaths.

“Minnie, time-out!”, the younger gasped between laughs, heaving a relieved sigh, when Seungmin showed mercy and let him catch his breath for a moment.

That was, when they heard it!  
The sound outside.  
  
It was so silent, that normally, Seungmin would have blamed it on the wind or something, but tonight there wasn't any breeze blowing.

Both, him and Jeongin shared an unsure look before they set their gaze onto the main entrance again, where the staircase led into total darkness, the light of the flickering fire behind them not being able to reach any further than to the door frame.

“Maybe it's them and they are back?”, Jeongin suggested, trying to appear nonchalant, but his statement sounded more like a question than anything else.  
  
Shrugging Seungmin tried to will his nervousness down.

“I don't think, it's them!”, he replied.  
The noise had sounded like someone scratching claws over stone. He doubted, that any of their friend's did that.  
“It's probably just some kind of animal that is looking for shelter!”

Jeongin shuddered.

“Birds?”, he asked carefully, a guarded expression on his face, but Seungmin rolled his eyes and gave his best friend a light punch against the shoulder.

“Birds aren't nocturnal!”, he reminded the younger.  
“Besides, that thing sounded bigger than a bird.”

“Oh yeah, well that's reassuring!”, Jeongin muttered, voice laced with sarcasm, but the fearful glint in his eyes had disappeared.  
As long as it wasn't anything bird-like, the young alpha was able to at least put up a fight, if necessary.

Again, the scraping noise echoed through the hall and this time, it sounded way louder than before, making Jeongin jump and both friends automatically scoot closer to each other.  
  
Nervously, Seungmin let his gaze wander through the room, trying to make out from where the disturbance of their evening was coming from, but he didn't pick up on anything unusual.  
No animals or anything else was with them.  
They were alone.

“Minnie, do you think, we should go and look?”, Jeongin asked silently, his mouth close enough to Seungmin's ear, then the omega could feel his friend's light breath against his skin.  
“After all, we weren't on watch. It could easily be more than just an animal!”

“Probably...”, Seungmin replied hesitantly, not thrilled at the thought to have to brace himself for a possible encounter with another person.  
But he also had to admit, that Jeongin was right. It had been their job after all to guard the apartment-tower.  
So now they had to carry the responsibility, that Woojin had lay upon their shoulders, when he went out with the others.

“Fine, let's go look!”  
  
Sighing, Seungmin carefully rose to his feet, determined not to make a sound that could warn the intruder of their arrival.  
Beside him, Jeongin was doing the same.

Together, both boys started sneaking towards the door, peaking down the dark staircase when they reached the entrance.

Swallowing a curse, Seungmin roamed the apparent void with widened eyes but couldn't decipher a single thing because of the darkness.  
Of course it couldn't have been that easy!

Nudging Jeongin with his elbow, he cocked his head to the side a bit to show the alpha, that they would keep walking, before he slowly started making his way down the stairs, breath held to avoid any noises he could possibly produce.

At the bottom of the ground floor, Seungmin wasn't even able to see his feet properly anymore.  
The lack of light let him halt his steps for a second, waiting for his eyes to adjust a little to the blackness.  
Now he understood, why his brother had never left the apartment-tower after sundown! It seriously got dark down here!

“Ouch!”  
  
A quiet mutter could be heard, when Jeongin's warm body bumped into him from behind, the younger probably having failed to realize that Seungmin had stopped.

“Silence! If whatever is out there, hears us first, our advantage will be gone!”, Seungmin hissed over his shoulder, to which Jeongin only grumbled something along the lines of “Hopefully it's a 'whatever' and not a 'whoever'!” in reply, before they both continued sneaking past the main door, into the direction, where now the scraping noise was coming from again.  
  
The sound even clearer this time. As if someone was dragging claws, or maybe even a knife over the lithic floor.

Feeling Jeongin's fingers reach for his hand, Seungmin gladly grabbed his best friend's palm and gave it a quick squeeze.  
He could feel the thrill and fear radiating off of the alpha beside him and to say, that he felt any calmer, would have been a lie.  
  
Normally, when encountered with situations like this one, Woojin was at his side. Or at least Minho.  
The latter one could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but that didn't change anything at the fact, that the snappish alpha would give his life to protect his pack.  
And Seungmin was a part of the boys pack, even if him and Minho normally shared nothing but teasing and mocking exchanges.

Again, the clawing noise reached his ears, coming from right in front of them and Jeongin to his left pulled Seungmin closer to wards him, the alpha's voice resonating right beside his ear only a moment later.

“Minnie, I think it's right in front of us!”

Agreeing, Seungmin nodded slightly, lower lip once again finding it's way between his teeth for him to chew on it.  
What in the name of god was that?  
And could it still not smell them?  
  
On the other hand, all Seungmin was able to decipher, was a very strong odor, wafting through the hallway like fog and numbing his senses a little.  
He was sure, he was able to recognize the scent, but somehow, his head wasn't able to connect the dots, leaving him in the dark about the thing, that had intruded their home.  
  
Literally and figuratively!

“I know what that is!” Jeongin's voice sounded careful but sure.  
“I've met one in the woods once! That's...”

He was cut off by a sudden high-pitched bark, that made Seungmin flinch when the call echoed off the narrow walls of the hallway.  
Then, a shadow slipped past their legs with the speed of light, soft fur brushing against Seungmin's left leg and forcing a gasp out of his throat, before the soft tapping of paws faded away in the distance.  
A moment later, they could hear the soft barking of the fox from outside as the animal returned into the forest.

Exhaling with a quiver, Seungmin let go of Jeongin's hand again and ruffled his fingers through his hair with a relieved chuckle.

“A fox! Of course!”, he snorted.  
“How could I not recognize the stench?”

His friend's dark figure turned towards him, posture looking offended.  
  
“Hey! Foxes are my spiritual animals! Don't insult them!”, he complained, but Seungmin only scoffed.

“No offense Innie, I know, you love them, ever since Woojin has compared you to them once, but their scent really is no joke! They smell like they rolled in shit three times before they peed themselves!”

Huffing, Jeongin pretended to be mad, but Seungmin could almost feel the corners of the younger's mouth lift upwards at his choice of words, despite the darkness still engulfing them.

About to head back and return into the warmth of the main hall – because holy shit, anywhere away from the fire, the night was freezing cold, even inside the protective walls of their home – Seungmin turned around, when suddenly another loud screech pierced through the night, shocking both boys so much, that Jeongin instinctively leaped at Seungmin, almost choking the healer, as he tried to practically climb onto his friend.

“What the fuck was that?”, the boy whispered, horror evident in his hushed voice.  
“That surely was not a fucking animal! No fox screams like that!”

“Easy on the swearing, Innie!”, Seungmin grumbled, a little busy with trying to peal his best friend's body off of his own to be able to breath again, but if he was honest, if Jeongin hadn't been faster, he himself had jumped the other as well.  
  
That noise had been terrifying, and besides, Jeongin had been right!  
No animal he knew, produced sounds like that!

“Really, that's what comes to your mind? No swearing?”, Jeongin hissed, clearly exasperated.

“Well, weren't you the one to tell me to stop imagining stuff in my head, that could be way worse than the reality actually is?”, Seungmin retorted, proud, that his voice wasn't wavering, while he threw an unsure glance towards the front door.  
  
Would that thing try to come in?

“Maybe...”, Jeongin rose to speak, but he was cut off by the thundering of footsteps from outside, accompanied by rough breathing.  
  
This time, it was Seungmin, who wrapped his arms around his friend's body in shock, rocking them back and forth a bit as his panicked brain tried to decide whether he should push Jeongin behind himself to protect the alpha or hide behind his younger friend instead.

With a sudden force, the main door was pushed open, the old wood creaking in protest of the harsh movement, before a slim, black figure entered the building, heavy pants falling from their lips and shoulders rising and falling rapidly.  
Along with them came a gush of sweet scent that finally put Seungmin at ease again.

“Jisung!”  
  
Untangling his arms from an equally relieved seeming Jeongin, Seungmin rushed towards the omega, who had turned around to him by now, still panting hard.

Meaning to say more, Seungmin opened his mouth again, but Jisung beat him to it.

“Quick, hide me! Don't tell him, where I am!”, the omega gasped out, before he shrugged his backpack off, that looked quite heavy, before bolting off in the hallway in the opposite direction from them, footsteps fading away in an equal manner to the ones of the fox from before.  
  
Left behind stunned, Seungmin slowly turned to Jeongin.

“The fuck was that?”, he asked in confusion, but once again, his words got drowned out by noise, when the door swung open a second time, the power of the force that had pushed it, almost sending it crashing into the wall.  
  
Seungmin hoped to god, the old wood would stay intact and not get lifted out of its hinges.  
Getting a new door would be hella troublesome in the middle of the woods during fall.

However, his thoughts got cut short, when another person entered, breath just as heavy as Jisung's had been.

“Jisung, get your ass back here!”  
  
Chan's voice was loud and threatening, his blond hair shining lightly even within the darkness, and for the first time in his life, Seungmin contemplated, whether he should maybe be scared of the leader.

“Nope, you'll only whoop my ass!”, came Jisung's muffled answer back from somewhere within the building, and Chan scoffed.

“Hell yeah I will!”, the blond shouted back, the volume of his voice making Seungmin flinch slightly.  
“And I will do it in a way, you will remember it the next time you come up with another stupid idea!”

“The stupid idea go us home!”, the omega yelled in reply, but Chan only growled lowly, his black eyes twinkling fiercely.

Then, without even sparing Seungmin and Jeongin a glance, the leader hurried after Jisung, the only thing staying behind being his messily-thrown-to-the-ground-backpack, the bag landing beside Jisung's with a small thud.

For a few seconds, neither Jeongin nor Seungmin said a word, both being to perplexed with what had just occurred.  
Then, Jeongin scurried back to Seungmin's side.

“Remind me to never play a prank on Chan-hyung again!”, the young alpha whispered as he shuddered lightly.  
“Right now, he actually looked like an alpha!”

Offended, Seungmin threw his friend a look, one eyebrow raised.  
  
“Excuse me, what is that supposed to mean!”, he asked with a huff, but Jeongin quickly waved him off.

“Not meaning to sound like a jackass, but you know, as far as I learned, alphas are more likely to kill someone than omegas, because of their difference in basic instincts.”

Seungmin relaxed a bit at those words.  
Jeongin was right, the two second genders differed in two aspects, aside from their physical appearances, alphas usually being stronger and more muscular while omegas were build more dainty and were faster runners.

But the bigger difference made their instincts.  
  
Alphas basic instinct was it to protect.  
Protect their pack, protect their family, protect their territory! And that at all costs.  
Their 'inner wolves' - how the teachers at the city had called those overwhelming instincts back then - were much more likely to make them loose control, much harder to contain, compared to the ones of omegas.  
  
Because, other than alphas, omegas' basic instinct was to preserve.  
Preserve what was theirs. Preserve what was around them.

At first, Seungmin hadn't understood the difference, until at some point, he had been able to witness it due to a first-hand experience.

Alphas were ready to tear the world down to protect their family. They were ready to sacrifice it all, even their own lives, if it meant protection of their pack.  
A protecting alpha was something to never mess with.  
But omegas had a different way of keeping the lives of their dear ones safe.  
  
Omegas saved.  
Omega's healed and tried to keep the upper hand in situations.  
  
While alphas fought with strength, omegas were more likely to not even fight but simply understand.  
Omegas tried to preserve both sides and everything around them. They protected, but usually, even though their first thought went to their own family, they tried to protect everything, to find the best solution, instead of loosing their heads and starting a war.

If a pack would have to flee from another one, the instinct of the alphas of the group would probably tell them to turn around to face their predators and therefore help the others escape, whereas the omegas' instinct would be to rather try to help their pack by securing the sides of the group, supporting the slower ones and find a way out.

Those instincts were also the reason for the differences within the two genders' scents.  
  
Alphas smelled more sharp and stronger, their odor meant to warn and throw off intruders.  
Omegas on the other hand had a more calming and sweeter, often weaker scent, that they were able to control the intensity of, if they pleased, helping them to keep control of situations.

Omegas calmed alphas. Alphas assured omegas.  
The second genders existed in harmony with each other, something, that Seungmin had always found somewhat beautiful, and he hoped, it would always stay that way.  
  
Although he wasn't too sure, where Chan's spot in such a world was. After all, the blond was...

“Min, Innie! We're back!”

Woojin's voice interrupted Seungmin's string of thoughts pretty abruptly, but he didn't complain in the least, when his older brother finally stepped through the main entrance, the leader opening the poor door much more gentle than the two boys before him had done.

“Woojinie-hyung!”, Jeongin cheered, jumping towards the older and giving him a quick hug, before Minho and Felix stepped through the door frame as well, the older alpha telling them to move with a low grunt, as he let his backpack drop to the ground as well, Felix only snickering faintly.

Seungmin didn't even realize, he was smiling brightly, until Woojin hugged him and his own front teeth brushed over the fabric of his brother's jacket, as he buried his face in the oldest's shoulder and wrapped his arms around the boy's waist.

“You're late!”  
  
The words were out, before Seungmin could bite them back.  
  
He didn't mean to accuse Woojin and make him feel guilty.  
After all, his brother had been busy and had come back in the end, so it wasn't in Seungmin's place to nag at him, but nonetheless, he couldn't help but still feel the insecurity he had went through before deep within his bones.

“I know, Minnie, I'm sorry!”, Woojin mumbled, his voice sounding a little rough.  
“We kinda got caught up in things. But I'm back, alright? I'll always come back!”

Cursing his heart, that was warming at the words, Seungmin simply squeezed his brother harder.

“I know, idiot, you better!”, he grumbled, Woojin's chest quivering slightly as the alpha gave a low chuckle in reply.

Letting go of each other again, Seungmin stepped back, looking around their small group with furrowed brows.  
Even in the darkness, he could clearly see that two heads were missing.

“Please don't tell me, you guys lost Changbin and Hyunjin!”, he groaned.  
“Or did you trade them off against stuff?”

Snorting, Felix shook his head.  
  
“Hyungjin went to the stream because he wanted to wash up after today and Binnie-hyung followed him so he wouldn't be out alone!”, the freckled boy explained.

Seungmin nodded in understanding.  
He had already noticed that the tall alpha, he had come to like, hated sweat on his skin, something the healer could relate to very well.  
  
Although he was glad, that he ad been able to visit the stream during daytime, when the temperatures outside had still been bearable.

“Do you guys maybe wanna go upstairs? The fire is still burning, but I'm not sure, how much longer that will last, if we don't feed it with more wood!”, Jeongin suggested, pointing behind him towards the staircase.

“Good idea! I'm also starving, so lets eat what's left from this morning!”, Minho groaned, picking up his backpack again to start climbing up the stairs, his steps looking slumped and forced.  
Felix followed him, seemingly equally tired.

Woojin chuckled, his brown hair almost looking completely black in the darkness.  
  
“I'm sure, Chan and Jisung will join us in a while, as well as Hyunjin and Changbin!”, he stated, ushering for Seungmin and Jeongin to ascend the stairs as well.

“Ah yeah, what's up with Chan and Jisung anyways?”, Seungmin asked curiously as he began heading towards the second floor.  
“What did Jisung fuck up this time?”

“Language!”, Woojin grumbled from behind him, making Seungmin wince slightly.  
His brother could get pretty intense when it came to swearing, so he mumbled a quick apology.

Sighing, Woojin continued.

“And the reason, why Jisung is currently at the risk of getting his ass kicked by Chan, is because Minho told Chan of Jisung climbing a crane!”

Choking on his own saliva, Seungmin almost tripped up one of the stairs' steps.  
  
“He did fucking what?”, he screeched, earning himself a whack on the back of his head from Woojin for swearing again.

“Why would he do that? Even Jisung would have at least enough brain cells to not put himself into danger like that, right?”, Seungmin continued, thoughtfully rubbing the spot on his head, where Woojin had flicked him.

The lightning around them got brighter, as they finally reached the second floor, entering the main hall, and Seungmin could hear Woojin sigh in relief.  
Only now he realized, that the oldest had been within the dark this whole time. Sure, as long as Woojin was still able to make out features and silhouettes, the oldest wouldn't panic, but nonetheless, Seungmin knew that his brother wasn't very fond of darkness.

“I wouldn't exactly put it past him to climb a crane just for the fun of it, after he climbed on the highway to go skating, but despite that, this time, he only did it to search for the direction the apartment-tower was in!”, Woojin answered as he shrugged his bag off with a low grunt, flexing his seemingly aching shoulders a bit.  
  
Seungmin could only gape at him, Jeongin beside him not looking much better.

“He climbed the highway behind the shopping center to go skateboarding?”, the youngest asked in disbelief.  
Other than Seungmin, he had been there once with Woojin and Minho, when Felix had been sick and therefore unable to go.

“Rather than that - since I can totally picture Jisung doing shit like that -”, Seungmin cut in again, ducking just in time to avoid another whack from Woojin. “- I would like to know, why you guys didn't know the direction the apartment-tower was in. This is the third time, you were making this trip, hyung! I refuse to believe, that you forgot the way!”

“Well, no, we didn't! It was only because we had to run from the boars, that we got lost!”, Minho chimed in from the direction of the fire, the dark-haired alpha already collecting the sticks they used to roast their meat with.

Now, Seungmin's jaw went completely slack. This conversation was taking so many turns, it was giving him whiplash!

“Boars?”, he repeated incredulously.  
“What in the name of the heavens happened on this trip?”

Heaving another sigh, Woojin shrugged halfheartedly.

“Let's just say, it's a long story and we have quite a lot to tell, but Chan is only this agitated because he already had to save Changbin out of a hole and he is afraid of narrow spaces, and now, he found out, that his other friend risked his ass today and would have died, if not for Minho, so yeah, please don't piss him off any further!”, the oldest pleaded, his wave of words hitting Seungmin right in the face and forcing him to take a few seconds, until everything seemed to trickle through the wall in front of his consciousness.

“He saved Changbin out of a hole?”, he asked weakly, not even sure, where he should start with how many questions he had.  
“I don't understand!”

“That makes two!”, Jeongin added, the expression on his face just as confused as Seungmin felt.

Felix giggled lowly.  
  
“Sit down, guys!”, the orange-head ordered gently.  
Only now did Seungmin realize, that the freckled alpha's eyes looked bloodshot and exhausted.  
“As soon as everyone's back here, we'll explain everything!”

“Yeah, that would be appreciated!”

Muttering, Seungmin stepped towards the warming fire and sat down, Jeongin plopping down to his left, while Woojin lowered himself to his right.

Not being able to resist the urge, Seungmin scooted closer to his older brother and leaned against the alpha's shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent deeply when a warm arm wrapped around him securely, finally allowing him to relax.

__________

Smiling, Woojin looked down at the slumped form beside him, as he carded his fingers through his younger brother's brown hair.  
  
Of course he hadn't forgotten about the promise they had once given each other to always be back before dark and he also knew, why the usually reserved Seungmin was currently clinging to his side like a leech.  
Even if the omega never really voiced his feelings, Woojin had learned to understand him nonetheless and he had gotten the silent message the younger was sending him with his gestures.

I'm glad, you're back!

A sudden noise from the back exit made Woojin look up, his eyes catching sight of Chan and Jisung when the boys entered the main hall side to side.  
Chan had his arm thrown over the omega's shoulders, as they came closer. The dangerous glint within the other leader's black eyes had disappeared, leaving behind a tired but gentle expression, as the blond visibly let his gaze roam the circle of sitting boys around the fire of which Changbin and Hyunjin already were a part of after having joined Woojin and his friends a few minutes prior.

The smell of roasted meat hung within the now warmed up air, since Minho couldn't wait and had already handed sticks and food to everyone, and the room was filled with the slight crackling of the fire and the low mumbles of hushed conversations between the packs.

“Ah, I see you guys made up!”  
  
Felix grinned at Jisung, as the omega slipped out of Chan's embrace to settle down beside the freckled alpha, his leader walking over to sit between Jeongin and Changbin.

“I'm never climbing a crane again!”, Jisung muttered lowly, sticking his tongue out in a satisfied looking Chan's direction, who only grinned.  
“Those lectures were a pain in the ass!”

Giggling slightly, Felix held his finger up in a warning.  
  
“Watch it, sung! If you swear too often in Woojin-hyung's presence, you'll earn yourself even more lectures!”, he snorted, motioning towards Woojin with his stick.

Dramatically, Jisung let his head fall onto the orange-haired boy's shoulder.  
  
“Can I please just have some food?”, he whined pathetically.  
“My stomach feels as empty as the hole Changbin fell in today!”

Wordlessly, Minho leaned over Felix to hand Jisung the stick with meat he had been holding over the fire the whole time before reaching beside him and picking up another one, immediately starting to warm it up again.

Jisung looked genuinely surprised, but his expression was nothing, compared to what Woojin felt.

Minho - The Minho - his best friend, the sass-master and snark-genius, had just sacrificed his own food, just because Jisung had complained?  
  
He had always known, that the omega had a certain effect on Minho, but he had never thought about to what extent, simply filed it under 'Jisung is special!', just like Chan was to him somehow.  
  
But apparently, for Minho it was different.  
Or his friend was still under the shock from today's events.

Woojin was able to detect a few more surprised glances at the alpha's gesture, coming from Seungmin, whom even escaped a small gasp, and Felix, whose eyes were round with confusion, but no one dared to say a word, simply accepting it.

Chan on the other hand, only smiled softly, his dark eyes holding a warm sparkle, as the blond looked at Minho and Jisung, where the omega - after having lived his surprise down - was thanking the alpha with a beaming smile on his face.

“So, I've been waiting until now, since you guys were all pretty hungry, but now I really wanna hear today's story!”, Jeongin suddenly exclaimed, pulling everyone's attention to him.  
“What happened?”

Beside Woojin, something started to squirm and Seungmin propped himself up, finally giving up his cuddling session with the older, now that his interest had been piqued.

“Yeah, you gotta tell!”, he too ushered them, his eyes shining with curiosity.

Sighing, Woojin thought about how to start such a long story, when Jisung beat him to the start, meat already swallowed halfway and exhaustion seemingly forgotten, as he began to explain the experiences of today's trip to Seungmin and Jeongin, hands gesturing wildly within the air the whole time.  
  
And Woojin had to admit, the omega was a great story-teller!

Not a single detail got left out, every moment narrated with a liveliness, that made everyone around the fire get pulled into the story, as if they had witnessed all of it themselves.  
Well, most of them had, but Woojin felt as if he would go on their journey a second time, only from a different point of view.  
It was truly mesmerizing, how someone, who hadn't even been to a school once, who couldn't write or read, was able to tell stories like that, full of life and emotion, although they were formed with just simple plain words.  
Everyday words, that would usually never be special but became so in the use of supporting Jisung's narrations.

Sometimes, Minho or Felix would cut in, adding things or correcting the omega, but it was never hostile, the two boys rather looking like two older brothers beside Jisung, who stuck his tongue out in their direction whenever they braked him a bit in his word-rage.

All in all, the air was filled with chatter and laughter, Jeongin wheezing on the floor, when Jisung came to the shopping-kart-race, the omega even standing up once to use his whole body to show, how him and Minho had won the second round.  
  
How the boy could still have that much energy, was a mystery to Woojin.  
  
He himself felt like an immobile sack of rocks, his limbs heavy and exhausted.  
Despite that, he didn't feel tired but rather content with the fact that he could listen to Jisung's voice and the cackles of his friends without having to worry about anything.  
Sure, at some point, they had to pick the shifts for tonight's watches and tomorrow they would have to go hunting and collect more wood for their fire, but none of that was of importance right now in this very moment.  
What mattered, was that he was warm and sated, dry and healthy. He was surrounded by his family and didn't have to fight for his life.  
  
And Woojin thanked everything he could possibly think of for that gift.

When Jisung finally finished his narration, Seungmin clapped slowly, his eyebrows raised mockingly.

“Great work guys, you properly managed to come back in one piece, despite all that!”, the healer grinned before lowering his hands again, grabbing the blanket behind him to wrap it around his shoulders.  
“Was it at least worth it? I mean, did you get us some stuff?”

Only now did Woojin remember their carriage and he nodded with a smile.

“Yeah, since we were a lot more people than usual, we were able to bring more items with us than normally!”, he replied in satisfaction.  
“We even got a few things beside blankets and clothes!”

Jeongin tilted his head to the side with sparkling eyes.  
  
“Like what?”, he asked curiously, reminding Woojin of his promise to the younger.  
Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, he pulled out the metal necklace he had found within the shopping center, throwing it carefully towards his dongsaeng, who caught if without effort.

A pleased sound escaped Jeongin's lips and the boy beamed up at Woojin, showing rows of teeth.  
  
“Thank you, hyung, I always wanted one!”

Chuckling, Woojin reached over his brother to shortly ruffle Jeongin's black hair, before he forced his aching legs to move one last time, scrambling to his feet and walking over to his backpack that he had thrown to the ground before, right next to Felix' and Minho's.

Crouching down with a groan, as his body palpably protested against the movement, he zipped the bag open and reached inside to pull out the old and tattered book he had found.  
Its pages had been under the protection of a few heavy items, that had lied atop it, and therefor kept them mostly dry.  
A fact, that had resulted in the book still being readable, even after eighty years of time, accompanied by weather and the change of seasons.  
  
From what Woojin had understood, the book contained a made-up story instead of medical facts, but nonetheless, he knew, it would interest Seungmin more than any piece of accessory ever could .

Walking back to his spot, he carefully placed the item in his brother's lap, the healer looking up in surprise, as he had been listening to Jeongin bragging about his new necklace.

“What is that?”  
  
Seungmin sounded confused, cocking his head to one side, as he eyed the book, looking like a curious puppy to Woojin, who couldn't suppress a smile.  
Even if his brother was taller than him in height, the boy would always somehow remain smaller than him.

“It's a story that I found!”, he explained calmly, as he shuffled on the blanket beneath him to get comfortable again.  
“It's nothing scientific, but I thought, maybe you'd like it nonetheless!”

The corners of Seungmin's lips curled upwards when he carefully caressed the old book-cover which was still showing the title of the story.

“Thanks, Woojinnie!”, he mumbled warmly and although he didn't use honorifics, Woojin knew, that his brother meant it.

A sudden gasp pulled his focus towards Jisung, the omega looking at the book in Seungmin's hands with wide eyes.

“Where did you find that one?”, he asked Woojin, disbelief in his voice.  
“I didn't see a single book within the shopping center!”

Snorting, Changbin answered in Woojin's place.

“Well maybe, if you hadn't been shopping-kart-racing and skateboarding, you would have found one, too!”, the short omega mocked, earning himself a glare from Jisung.

“You were with me, asshat!”, the brown-haired boy threw at is friend accusingly but instantly focusing back on Seungmin right after.

“Can you hold it up a bit for me to see?”, he pleaded and Woojin could only chuckle, at how obediently his brother raised the book in the air.  
If it had been Minho, Seungmin would have probably blown the alpha a raspberry and hidden the book behind his back just to annoy the older.

“The never-ending story”, Jisung read out loud, eyes squinted slightly to be able to decipher the characters of the title.  
  
Woojin hummed in agreement, meaning to tell the omega, that he had gotten it right, when finally, realization kicked in.  
Had Jisung really just – read something?

“Woah, hold up, I thought you never went to school!”, Felix also exclaimed, disbelief evident on his expression and within his voice as well.

Looking proud, Jisung beamed at the freckled boy.

“I didn't!”, he assured.  
“But a friend of mine tried to teach me. She was a really good mentor, aside from Chan-hyung!”

Now, Woojin's interest was sparked again and he leaned forward a bit.

“A friend of yours? Who?”, he asked.  
He had always thought, Chan, Changbin and Hyunjin had been the only ones Jisung had ever spent more time with, aside from his birth-pack.

Suddenly a more reserved look bloomed on Jisung's face and the omega's features darkened a bit.  
The omega looked, as if he had said something out loud, that Woojin shouldn't have known, his eyes darting towards Chan as if he was searching for any sign of anger on his leader's face.  
  
But the blond only nodded softly as if to assure the omega, seemingly telling him, that it was okay to go on.  
Nonetheless, Woojin could see, how Chan's shoulders tensed slightly and how Changbin lowered his gaze, scooting closer to Hyunjin.

Confused, his gaze darted back to Jisung, who was shuffling on his spot, before the omega inhaled deeply.

“Remember how we told you guys, that we used to wander and travel around, never staying in one place?”, the omega began, eyes set on Woojin, while his hand reached for Hyunjin's, the alpha immediately intertwining their fingers.

Nodding, Woojin shared a quick glance with Minho, who looked equally curious, sharp eyes filled with interest and a lot of unvoiced questions.

“Well, we sometimes stayed with other packs back then!”, Jisung went on.  
“But there was one pack we used to frequently meet again and again, because they had a good place to stay at during the winter and since they were really welcoming, we grew closer to them!”

The omega slowly fell back into his narrating tone, his eyes getting that livid sparkle he used to have during his stories and Woojin felt himself relax a bit as well, as if with the fading of Jisung's tenseness, his own was vanishing as well.

Carding his free hand through his tousled hair, Jisung continued.

“One of them was a girl my age. Her name was Nesrin and we clicked pretty early on, spending most of our time together whenever me and the others would stop by during our travels!”

A solemn expression spread on the omega's face and he smiled.

“We used to talk for ages, telling each other about the experiences we had during the absence of the other. I learned quite a lot from her, to be honest. Sometimes, she seemed much older than me!”

“So she could also read, meaning, she went to school?”, Felix chimed in, interrupting Jisung and Woojin would have liked to press his hand down on the freckled boy's mouth, afraid, that the narrating omega could decide to stop his flow of information, but luckily, Jisung only smiled again.

“Yeah, she was an orphan from the city!”, he confirmed Felix' assumption.  
“The pack took her in and gave her shelter back when she escaped from Seoul at the age of twelve. Before that, she used to go to school, which is where she learned how to read and write.”

His eyes glazing over with what Woojin assumed to be memories, Jisung stared at the flames.

“She always used to carry around this book she had kept from her parents. It was a story about a girl living in the mountains with her grandfather, and whenever we hand nothing to do, she would show me some characters of our language and push me to study them and improve my reading!”

The omega chuckled sheepishly.

“I was a pretty bad student and it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears from her side to teach me, what I know now, but she never gave up, being persistent until the end!”

Throwing a glance over to Seungmin, Jisung grinned.

“I'm pretty sure, you guys would have been one hell of a team!”, he chuckled at the healer, who returned the smile.  
“Although she didn't know as much about medical things. She rather collected stories than knowledge!”

Woojin was stunned.  
What Jisung was telling them, was truly amazing.  
  
Him - the omega that had been born outside the city, away from any kind of education - had learned the basics of reading just from a certain girl that didn't want him to miss the pleasure of stories.

“Where is she now?”, Woojin questioned curiously.  
“Did she stay with her pack?”

The air suddenly felt cold as ice, like someone had blown out the fire, although the flames were still flickering in front of Woojin unbothered.  
But the atmosphere stayed frozen.

Chan's dark eyes looked void of emotions as he averted them, the blond's shoulders tense again and his hands clenched into fists.  
  
Changbin and Hyunjin were throwing concerned glances in Jisung's direction, the younger omega's mouth a tight line while his gaze looked hooded over with obvious pain.

“Was that the wrong question?”, Felix asked carefully.  
The alpha had pulled his head in a bit at the obvious discomfort that had invaded the room.

As if being woken up from a daydream, Jisung started waving his hands exaggeratedly, a light chuckle escaping his lips, although Woojin couldn't hear the slightest ounce of humor within it.

“No, no, it's just...”, the omega broke himself off, his movements stilling, before he dropped his hands into his lap with a sigh.  
Lowering his eyes to the floor, he smiled sadly.

“Nesrin died one year ago!”, he then answered quietly, his words almost getting drowned out by the soft crackling of the campfire.

Silence spread in the main hall, Woojin himself being unsure of what to say.  
A part of him wanted to ask, how the girl had died, but looking at Jisung's already mournful expression, he knew that it would have been disrespectful in the face of the omega's pain, so he swallowed his words back down to make room for others.

“I'm sorry you had to tell us that.”, he softly told Jisung, who looked up at being spoken to.  
“I would have loved to meet her. I'm sure, she was a great person!”

Smiling a little, Jisung nodded.

“She was a great friend.”, he assured.  
“And she always wanted to visit the mountains once. It was her dream!”

A pang of melancholy rushed through Woojin at those words and he couldn't help but mourn the girl's death, even though he hadn't even known her, hadn't even met her once in his life.  
But somehow, the girl sounded like someone he would have gotten along with.  
A kind yet fierce heart!

Suddenly scrambling up from his spot beside Felix, Jisung padded over to a confused looking Seungmin and sat down behind him and Jeongin, the two boys automatically scooting away from each other to form space for the omega.  
  
Pointing at the book, that was still lying in the healer's lap, Jisung set his now beaming eyes on Seungmin with a hopeful smile on his face.

“Can you read to us from it? I wanna hear the story, too!”

It seemed, as if Jisung was trying to lift the mood again, letting everyone forget about the sad news he had sported just minutes before, and Woojin assumed, the boy himself was trying to push the fact about his friend's death into the furthest point of his consciousness as well, where it probably had been stored away for the past months.

Looking ready to protest, Seungmin parted his lips, but Changbin beat him to it, the short boy breaking into a wide grin.

“Oh yes, read to us, Minnie!”, he exclaimed, crawling over to the healer on all fours as well.

Seungmin still didn't seem to be completely aboard with the idea, but when Jeongin grinned devilishly and started chanting “Story! Story! Story!”, he admitted defeat and nodded, making the others around him erupt in cheers.

“Fine, but if any of you guys interrupts me while reading, I will stop immediately!”, he threatened before adjusting his position, pulling the blanket around his shoulders up a bit.

Nodding ruefully, his listeners scooted closer towards him, Changbin letting his head fall into Seungmin's lap with a pleased grunt, all to the surprise of everyone around, especially Seungmin himself.

“What in the name of god are you doing?”  
  
Raising one eyebrow at the omega beneath him, Seungmin held his book up higher for it not to be right within the boy's face.  
  
Changbin giggled and only shuffled a bit to get more comfortable.

“Using you as a pillow!”, he answered nonchalantly before closing his eyes.  
“You may start reading now!”

Scoffing, Seungmin rolled his eyes.  
  
“You are heavy, idiot!”, he groaned, flicking Changbin's temple with his fingers, making the other whine, but nonetheless, none of them moved as Seungmin focused on the book.

Beside them, Jisung had gotten his blanket as well and was now cuddled up against Changbin's thighs, his stomach being a pillow for Jeongin, who was playing with some of his chestnuts again.

The scene raised a smile from Woojin.  
Apparently, their two packs were finally getting more comfortable around each other.  
  
And surprisingly, it had been the careful and reserved Jisung, who had made the first step.  
Well, together with Changbin at least, who had been the one to initiate the skinship just now.

“Wait, I wanna cuddle, too!”, Felix exclaimed, swallowing the last bite of meat, that he had stolen from Minho, before scrambling to his feet at well and rounding the fire, blanket in hand.

Letting himself plop down beside Jisung and Changbin, he rested his head on the short omega's stomach, while his hand reached out shortly to ruffle Jeongin's hair, who growled jokingly in protest, shooing the freckled boy's arm away.

“Are you guys done anytime soon?”  
  
Seungmin sounded piqued, probably eager to start reading his story and again, Woojin couldn't suppress another smirk.  
Placing his palm on his brother's neck, he scratched the boy's nape gently, eliciting a soft hum from the healer, who immediately leaned into his touch.

“We're ready, you can read now!”, Jeongin grinned, his head turned so he would be able to look at Seungmin, who sighed in relief.

“Finally!”

When the healer cleared his throat and started reading, his calm voice filling the room, Woojin felt himself relax again.  
  
Pulling his hand away from his brother's neck, he leaned back on his arms and closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful way, the noise of Seungmin's words and the soft crackling of the campfire mixed into one, a soft fluid of sounds that swept over him gently and washed the tenseness out of his body.  
  
The dimly lit room was filled with the smell of fire and food, along with the comforting scents of the eight other boys beside him and Woojin felt home. Felt as if he had achieved something, that he hadn't even known he had been chasing after.  
  
There were still a lot of questions floating around inside his head, begging to be answered, but for now, Woojin pushed them back, locked them away in the furthest part of his mind he could reach and focused on what he had, right here and right now in this very moment.  
Because it was enough!

When he opened his eyes again, scanning the circle around him again, Minho wasn't anywhere to be seen anymore, the alpha having left the room.  
  
Smiling softly, Woojin let his gaze wander towards the back exit, where the second staircase was leading upwards into the other stores.  
He knew exactly, where his best friend has disappeared to and the fact, how similar the alpha and Jisung were, despite their differences, almost made him laugh.

Looking over to Chan, Woojin wanted to catch the blond's gaze and see him smile at him, but when his eyes finally reached the other leader's form, Woojin felt the warm contentedness within him cool off a little.  
  
One leg propped up, Chan was staring into empty space, his black eyes looking even darker since they were shaded by the boy's furrowed brows.  
Something was obviously going on within the leader's head and judging by his expression and his clenched jaw, Woojin could only guess, how grave that something had to be.

Sighing, he let his gaze wander over to Hyunjin, who had a similar look on his pretty face, side-eyeing his leader from time to time, his features scrunched up in worry.  
  
And Woojin realized, that - despite the apparent peacefulness - a storm was beginning to brew above them, ready to cause chaos within their lives.  
  
Because this thing – whatever it was Chan's pack was hiding – wasn't over yet!  
  
He just knew. He could see it in their eyes.

__________

Yawning, Jisung rolled over onto his stomach, his side pressing into an already snoring Felix.  
The freckled boy's warmth felt comforting and reassuring somehow, after what Jisung had to talk about before and he desperately tried to will down the sickness that invaded his throat at thinking back to Nesrin.  
  
He simply didn't have to guts to remember her tonight. He just wanted to feel safe and secure again for once.

“Alright, that's it! I've been reading for three chapters, and now my mouth feels like I swallowed sand!”, Seungmin suddenly exclaimed, his hands closing the book carefully while he stuck his tongue out as if to show everyone, how dried out it was.

The lack of his distracting and comforting voice made Jisung realize, how something was missing from his surroundings and he heaved himself up to all fours, the blanket gliding off of his back as he scanned the room in concentration.  
  
Felix and Changbin were asleep, the short omega's head still resting in Seungmin's lap.  
Jeongin had changed his position over the time, now sitting beside Woojin, his body leaned against the other, who was staring into the flames thoughtfully.  
  
Opposite them, on the other side of the fire sat Chan and Hyunjin, side to side without really touching each other, the blond looking as if he was contemplating his chance of survival of a upcoming apocalypse, while the tall alpha beside him was glancing at him from time to time while he played with a few brown pebbles, that Jisung was able to identify as a few of Jeongin's chestnuts.

Chuckling lightly, Jisung carefully, as to not wake his sleeping friends, scrambled to his feet and stepped over Changbin's form to walk over to Hyunjin.  
In front of him he crouched down again, the alpha raising his gaze a bit to be able to look at him properly.

“Hey Ji!”, he whispered softly as a greeting.  
  
It was something, Jisung had always found equally weird and adorable about the alpha.  
He was always somehow soft, although he could easily kick a guy's head in, if he so much as pleased.  
  
Not that Hyunjin would ever do that. The boy was the walking epitome of innocence.

“Hey Hyun!”, Jisung greeted back with a gentle grin, before he let himself plop down beside his friend, snuggling into the alpha's tall form and exhaling contently at the immediate warmth that invaded his own body.  
  
Fuck those lucky alphas and their enormous body heat!

“Is Channie-hyung drowning himself in dark thoughts again?”, he asked, glancing past Hyunjin to be able to look at Chan, whose eyebrows were almost hiding his entire eyes by now with how deeply they were pulled down.  
  
Shrugging, Hyunjin heaved a small sigh.

“I guess so!”, he mumbled, wrapping his arm around Jisung's shoulders.  
  
“I just wish, we could help him somehow, but I know, it's useless to even try at the moment!”

Humming, Jisung nodded.

“If you know, it's not gonna be of any use anyways, then I guess I won't have to tell you to stop overthinking!”  
  
He groaned quietly, jabbing his friend in the side, making Hyunjin flinch and yelp slightly.  
  
“One brooding man-child is enough for now, seriously!”

A soft giggle escaped Hyunjin and Jisung felt a smile tug on his own lips.  
Another thing, that was so unbelievably soft about the alpha.  
His laugh!

“Well, what do you suggest, I do instead then, oh so mighty Jisung?”, the tall boy asked mockingly, his hands reaching out to tickle Jisung's side and eliciting a shriek form the younger, who batted his fingers away frantically before he adjusted his position to answer.

“I say, you walk over there and help Seungmin out, because he looks utterly lost with Binnie in his lap and nothing to lean on for himself!”, he proposed with a grin, arm motioning at the healer a few meters away from them, who was currently trying to get his older brother and best friend to help him, while the two boys were only laughing silently at his misfortune.

Chuckling in amusement, Hyunjin snorted.

“Guess I'll do that!”, he mumbled before turning his gaze back to Jisung to eye him questioningly.  
“What are you gonna do?”.

“I'm gonna look for Minho!”, Jisung answered quietly, his eyes scanning the room in search of any clues that might tell him the location of the older alpha.

A knowing grin spread on Hyunjin's face and the tall boy squeezed Jisung's shoulder, where his hand was placed.

“He went out through the back exit a few minutes after Seungmin started reading, but I'm pretty sure, Woojin knows, where he walked off to!”, he provided him with info, probably knowing that Jisung wanted to thank Minho once more for saving his ass. 

“Thanks, Jinnie!”

Rubbing his nose against Hyunjin's cheek, Jisung carefully slipped out of his friend's embrace to stand up.  
  
“I'll be back in a bit!”

“You better be!”, he heard the tall alpha mutter behind him, as he walked up to Woojin and Jeongin.  
The former looked up as soon as Jisung reached them, smiling up to him with fond eyes.

“Jisung, what's up?”, the alpha greeted him quietly, his voice laced with a warmth that made Jisung's chest swell with happiness.  
Clearing his throat, he scratched his nape sheepishly, suddenly feeling shy at the thought of asking the older, but he ignored the emotion, pushing it far away from himself.

“Heya, hyung, I was just wondering, whether you knew, where Minho is.”, he replied with a smile.  
“I haven't seen him in a while and Hyunjinnie said, you might now, where he went off to!”

Blinking at him sleepily, Jeongin opened his fox-like eyes and snuggled deeper into Woojin's embrace, before he answered in his leader's place.

“He's probably dancing!”

Not quite believing the words he had just heard, Jisung cocked his head to the side in question.

“Pardon?”, he asked in confusion, earning himself a laugh from Woojin.

“He's on the roof!”, the alpha answered softly.  
“He only goes there voluntarily on very rare occasions, when he needs to de-stress, so when you get there, only watch, don't interrupt him until he's done!”

Averting his eyes, Jisung felt his ears heat up from embarrassment and guilt.   
  
Minho probably needed to calm down after the shock Jisung had caused the boy today.  
  
Honestly, it had surprised him as well, when Minho had started panicking at the thought of not being able to catch him.  
The alpha always seemed to sure of what he was doing, so confident in his actions, that Jisung had automatically started to trust in the boy as well, not realizing, that Minho was a lot more fragile and insecure, than he led people on to believe.

“I scared him, didn't I?”, he questioned, voice almost inaudible, but Woojin seemed to catch his words nonetheless.

“Yes you did!”, the older answered, still with a smile on his face.  
“Whether he shows it or not, but Minho actually cares a lot about people he gets close with! And trust me when I tell you, he would die for everyone that is part of his family!”

Flinching lightly, Jisung wasn't sure of how to reply.  
  
Minho thought of him as family? But they had only met a few weeks ago?  
Sure, he, too, had started to feel closer to the alpha, had started to feel more secure whenever the boy was around, but he wasn't too sure, whether he could actually say, that Minho meant family to him.  
  
After all, he had thought that about the other pack as well. Had thought that about...

Shaking his head vehemently to get rid of any unwanted thoughts, Jisung blinked a few times to clear his vision again.

“I just wanted to thank him!”, he mumbled.  
“After all, I owe him my life!”

“Then I guess, you should hurry and catch him on the roof.”, Woojin smiled at him again.  
“I promise, I'll sent someone up to get you guys before we decide on tonight's watches!”

Gratefully, Jisung beamed at the older.  
He really was starting to like the other leader. Genuinely!  
  
A part of him, deep down, was still trying to tell him, that Woojin was doing all that just to gain his trust to be able to betray him afterwards, but he knew, that was just his fear speaking.  
And he was fucking done with listening to his fear!

“Thanks, hyung!”, he whispered back before he turned around, waving the alpha before he crossed the hall towards the back exit and went directly for the stairs, immediately starting to climb them.

Only now did Jisung realize, how tired his legs actually were, his muscles protesting at the new movement, but he ignored it.  
Pain was only temporary if it was something as simple and physical as soreness.  
Give it two days and the ache would be gone!

The staircase was unbelievably dark, making at almost impossibly for Jisung to see the steps in front of him and he briefly wondered, how Woojin was able to reach the platform at the roof, when he was supposed to be on watch at night.

Missing a tendril of a plant that was apparently growing on the floor – at least Jisung hoped, it was only a tendril that caught his foot – the omega suddenly lost his balance, knees and hands slamming into the stony ground and he winced, as a sharp pain shot up his body, letting a hiss escape his lips.

What was that again about pain being only temporary?  
  
Well, right in this very moment, it fucking hurt nonetheless!  
Screw him for trying to be poetic and tough, discarding the simple pain of soreness as unimportant when that was the least painful thing he could possibly think of.  
  
If he had told Chan back then that 'pain was only temporary', when the blond had gotten his stomach sliced open, he was sure his leader had probably recovered for a second, just to whoop his ass and show him exactly how non-temporary pain could be!

Standing up again and dusting his palms off, Jisung continued his way up the stairs with throbbing knees, only slowing down a bit, when he finally caught side of the soft silver ray of light, that shone into the hallway through the opening that led onto the platform.

The moment, he forced himself to be more quiet, his ears were able to pick up on some soft sounds, accompanied by light shuffling on the floor.

Holding his breath to not get discovered, Jisung snuck up the last few steps to be able to peak through the door frame, his gaze immediately falling on the moving figure on the roof.

Visible under the soft light of the still almost full moon, Minho was swaying his body from one side to the other, arms coming up and down sometimes in artistic gestures when he spun and turned, letting his body make powerful movements that Jisung didn't even think possible for someone with bones.  
  
Along to his dancing, the alpha was humming a soft melody, his sharp eyes closed, indicating, that he was caught in his own world.  
He looked much softer and more peaceful than Jisung had ever seen him and the omega felt his breath get caught in his throat at the beautiful scene unfolding in front of him.  
  
Minho was beautiful!

As careful and quiet as possible to not rip the alpha out of his trance-like state, Jisung stepped onto the platform and lowered himself down beside the opening, back pressed against the cold wall.  
The air out here was extremely chilly by now and the omega inwardly cursed himself for not bringing another jacket or blanket but he was too mesmerized by Minho's dance, that he deemed himself capable of leaving the roof now.  
So he simply wrapped his arms around his shivering form and continued to watch, his breath ascending towards the sky in soft white clouds.

He had seen someone dance before.  
  
Not just anyone, it had been Hyunjin, who had introduced him to dancing, the alpha having this sort of natural grace that had always pulled Jisung in, knocking the oxygen out of his lungs and making his heart stumble a few beats.  
It had been the reason why he had once had a small crush on the tall alpha, something he had long gotten past, ever since they had become best friends.

But seeing Minho now, he felt as if the alpha was opening his eyes to a whole new side of dancing.  
  
Other than Hyunjin, who was elegant and mesmerizing, Minho's style was strong and powerful, each of his movements looking as if they were carrying a wave of energy with them.  
There was no superfluous step, no unnecessary waver, not even an abundant wiggle of a finger.  
Everything Minho did seemed to have the purpose of completing the art that was his dance and Jisung felt the admiration for the older grow within him, as he listened to the melody the alpha was humming along to his masterpiece, each tone hanging in the air until they got replaced by another.

Jisung himself had never danced, but he did sing before, something Chan had introduced him to and gotten him to love.  
Music was something Jisung had always labeled under magical and whenever him and his pack-mates had sat together after a particularly exhausting day, Jisung and Chan had started to sing the song the blond had taught them.  
  
Sometimes, Hyunjin and Changbin had sung along, even though the two of them had much darker and rougher voices than Jisung and their leader, but no one had complained.  
Hearing all of their voices together had only strengthened the feeling of being one and belonging with each other.

Now that he thought about it, Jisung felt a deep longing rise within his throat, making it hard for him to swallow properly.  
  
He missed that!  
He missed Chan's clear and calm voice, he missed Changbin's rough tone and Hyunjin's slightly off tune parlando.  
And more than anything, he missed the days spent wandering, the intimate long talks at night about anything and everything, the sounds of laughter and the sight of Chan's dimples.  
He missed the times, where they hadn't looked behind themselves to see if someone was following them, he missed the days, where he had slept peacefully at night, not having to wake up from nightmares or to find Chan still awake in the morning with bags under his eyes because the leader hadn't been able to get himself to rest.

The sharp feeling of homesickness invaded Jisung and he had to work hard to suppress the gasp that tried to force his mouth open at the painful feeling within his rib-cage, far worse than any fall on the stairs could have ever been.  
He had never had a place he had called home. For him, home had been beside his three best friends, traveling wherever and whenever they had wanted.

Now, he felt stuck, but even if they would decided to leave and start traveling again, Jisung doubted that the secure feeling, he had had before, would come back.  
As long as they didn't know about what had happened to her, he was sure that safety was something undeniably lost for them.

The ending of Minho's hummed melody got Jisung out of his thoughts and back to reality, the coldness immediately surrounding him again, gnawing at his already frozen fingertips and his nose.

Panting, the alpha in front of him came to a halt, finally opening his eyes again, as he swiped his dark hair back with one hand, his chest heaving with each deep breath he took.

Having waited until now, Jisung couldn't hold himself back anymore.

“That was amazing!”

Letting out a high-pitched shriek, Minho leaped sideways, body immediately in a fighting stance, before the alpha set his eyes on Jisung, who had raised his hands in defense.

“Heavens, Sungie, would you be so kind as to stop doing that!”, Minho snapped, his voice sounding a little hoarse, whether from the cold or his scream, Jisung wasn't sure.  
  
Right now, with his eyes widened slightly and his hair tousled, Minho looked younger than normally, and way more vulnerable, although Jisung had already seen his fare share of the alpha's vulnerable side, if he thought back to today's trip.

Using the wall behind him to get up, he let out a soft giggle.

“Sorry, Lino, I didn't mean to scare you!”, he apologized, the new nickname he had given the older earlier sliding over his lips almost naturally.  
If Minho minded it, then he didn't show it, not addressing his title in the least but instead throwing Jisung a slightly confused glance.

“Did you see me dance?”, he asked carefully.

Starting to walk around a bit to warm himself up, Jisung nodded as his eyes scanned the black horizon, where he could see the faint outlines of the white mountains, the highest peaks already being covered in the first snow of this year.

“Yeah, I saw you!”, he admitted, turning to Minho with a smile.  
“It was truly beautiful. I haven't seen anyone dance since Jinnie!”

Interest sparked in Minho's dark eyes and the alpha cocked his head to the side.

“Hyunjin dances?”, he asked curiously and a part of Jisung felt a little disappointed, that it was the other alpha, Minho was asking about.  
Nonetheless, he nodded again.

“Yeah, Jinnie always loved dancing ever since he saw some old videos back in the city!”, he answered, tilting is head a bit to be able to look at the moon and the millions of stars that were decorating the black night sky.

Grabbing his discarded sweater from the floor, Minho pulled the clothing over his head, putting it on properly before he spoke up again.

“And why did you come up here?”

The question let Jisung freeze.  
Sure, he had planned to come up here to thank Minho once more for saving his ass, but now, that the alpha was asking him so directly, he felt the words get stuck within his throat, his tongue suddenly unable to form proper sentences.

“I wanted to talk to you!”, he finally coughed out, earning himself a little more time to recover, Minho nodding and waiting patiently for him to get his words straight.

Inhaling deeply, Jisung turned towards the alpha, one hand holding onto the wall that was surrounding the platform.  
The cold stone under his fingers felt oddly reassuring, giving him something to ground himself with.

“I wanted to thank you for today!”

There, he said it.  
Even though he had thanked Minho before, he had felt the need to do it properly one more time. Now, that the words were finally out, a part of the weight seemed to disappear from Jisung's shoulders and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Chuckling, Minho shook his head.

“You already said that back then!”, he reminded Jisung, his voice sounding warm and his scent more balanced again, compared to how sharp it had been ever since the incident at the crane.  
It made Jisung feel more relaxed as well and he blamed his stupid inner wolf for being too sensitive to smells.  
  
He shrugged.

“True, but I felt like saying it again!”

Sheepishly looking down, he added: “And also I wanted to say sorry for forcing you to climb up there! I really didn't know about your fear!”  
  
He frowned slightly, as a thought rose to the forefront of his conscience, while he let his by now ice-cold hands disappear inside the pockets of his hoodie.  
  
“Come to think of it, why are you up here anyways? Isn't this your most hated place then?”

Sighing, Minho picked his jacket off from the floor as well, that had lay there as a dark bundle.

“Nope, I don't exactly hate it!”, he explained, glancing over the clearing around them.  
“The wall around here makes the look down less bad and it's one of the only spots where I have an entire place without roots or anything of the kind to myself without having to worry that a stranger might see me!”

He smiled softly, an expression that Jisung hadn't seen too often on his face yet.

“It makes me feel safer, as if no one...”

“...could touch you!”, Jisung cut him off quietly.  
He knew, how the alpha felt, because it was the exact same reason, why he liked to be high up, on top of the world. Far away from anything that could possibly wanting to hurt him.

Minho hummed.

“Yeah!”, he whispered.  
“It's my personal hell, but as long as I close my eyes, it becomes my safe heaven!”

Snickering lightly, Jisung pointed at the spot the alpha was standing on currently, the place almost marking the exact middle of the platform, far away from any of the outer walls.

“Is that, why you are staying there?”, he mocked gently, Minho sending him a joking glare.

Then, suddenly and without warning, the alpha made two big steps towards Jisung, almost making the omega choke on air in surprise.  
  
Now standing right in front of Jisung, Minho shot him a sultry grin.

“Don't underestimate me, Sungie!”, he declared, Jisung's nickname rolling off his lips in a very soft way that didn't quite fit his expression.

Trying to will his beating heart to calm down a bit, Jisung smirked back.

“You spit such confident words, yet I can see you desperately trying to avoid looking to your left!”, he retorted bemusedly, laughter erupting from his chest, when Minho sighed in defeat, his tensed up shoulders sagging a bit as he stepped back again to stay in a safe distance from the railing.  
  
Having mercy on the older, Jisung followed him until they weren't standing right beside the edge anymore but more to the middle of the platform.

A fresh gush of wind reached the both of them, making Jisung shiver again as he felt the cold air slowly creeping under his sweater, his skin starting to form goosebumps.  
He really should have brought another jacket!

“Anyways, what I just wanted you to know, is that I'm very grateful for you saving my ass today!”, he repeated, lips curled upwards in a smile.  
“Me and my behind are very much appreciating it!”

Chuckling, Minho stepped forward, his one hand reaching out to throw his jacket over Jisung's shoulders, the omega taking it with a grateful expression and wrapping it tightly around his trembling form. It smelled like Minho.

“I don't need you to thank me!”, the alpha answered honestly.  
“I would save you over and over again, if needed!”

His genuine words sent a shiver down Jisung's spine and blood rushing straight to his ears, but before he could even begin to feel embarrassed or awkward, Minho pulled his lips into a snarl, lifting his finger to poke it into Jisung's chest accusingly.

“But if you _ever_ even dare to think about doing something like that _ever_ again...”, he growled lowly. “...I will personally hunt you down and kick your ass!”

Not being able to say, whether he was intimidated or thankful, Jisung only nodded with a slight grin.

“I promise I won't climb anymore cranes!”, he replied solemnly, raising his hand as if to pledge.

Narrowing his eyes slightly as if he was doubting the omega's words – which was probably fair – Minho scoffed.

“You better not!”, he retorted before turning towards the stairs.

“I guess we should head down then!”, he called back over his shoulder towards Jisung.  
“The nights are short if we have to take over a watch and we should rest properly for tomorrows hunt! Otherwise we'll have to go to sleep hungry!”

Nodding, Jisung followed the alpha, still clutching Minho's jacket tightly, the item covering him in the boy's sharp scent which seemed to have a weirdly calming effect on his inner wolf.

“We'll be having to get used to starving anyways!”, he mumbled under his breath, remembering how much harder hunting got during the winter.  
  
Waiting up for him, Minho rolled his eyes.

“Don't remind me!”, he groaned before starting to walk down the stairs.  
“Tough times are coming!”

“Yeah!”, Jisung agreed while heading after the older, insistently hoping, that the time would only be tough in Minho's sense of meaning and not in the way he himself feared.  
  
An empty stomach was nothing compared to his nightmares!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT TWO CHAPTERS WILL REVEAL THE BIG MYSTERY!!! 
> 
> Ahhh i myself am excited to hear, what you guys will think about the 'dark secret' of the other pack!!! 
> 
> Anyways, i hope you liked the chapter!  
> Theories, likes and comments are always appreciated and i will always give you an answer back! Also, if you want to criticize something, just leave it in the comments! It might help me to improve!!!
> 
> Until next time and stay save!!


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!  
> Graphic description of violence; mention of sexual abuse; mention of blood/injuries; detailed description of flashbacks/PTSD/Panic attacks
> 
> IF YOU ARE TRIGGERED BY ANY OF THE ABOVE; YOU SHOULD NOT READ THIS CHAPTER!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll are gonna hate me:)
> 
> (Anything written in cursive are flashbacks!!)

_“Jisung!”_

_Tearing his tired eyes open, Jisung, blinked a few times to clear his vision before he searched for the source of the call.  
His gaze set on the round face of a girl, whose eyes were sparkling with life.  
  
“Wake up, today we don't have anything to do, meaning we have the whole day to ourselves!”, she exclaimed, her nose scrunching up a bit, letting the mole right beside it jump upwards about a centimeter.  
  
Groaning, Jisung sat up, the fur that had been covering his body sliding down into his lap and exposing his shirt-covered torso and arms to the cold air surrounding them.  
  
“So if we don't have anything to do, why do I have to get up to such ungodly hours?”, he asked with a yawn, rubbing his hands over his face.  
  
Rolling her brown eyes, the girl simply grabbed his arm and pulled the omega up with a strength one hadn't quite expected from her dainty looking Frame.  
  
Jisung sputtered in surprise as he almost immediately lost his balance right after finally being on his feet, a numb pain shooting through his muscles.  
Yesterday's activities had been quite demanding and the omega was able to feel it in every single one of his bones.  
  
“Wait, Nes, I need a jacket!”, he whined, as the girl kept pulling him forward, out of the makeshift tent and over the clearing, where a few people were already visible, enjoying their morning.  
Somewhere on his left, Jisung was able to detect Chan's blond hair where the boy was busy laughing with Zillah and Keir, the couple standing side by side like always.  
  
“Catch!”  
  
Nesrin's shout pulled Jisung's attention back to her, just in time for him to grab the jacket out of the air, that the girl had been throwing at him.  
  
“Now come on, you slowpoke!”, his friend yelled back over her shoulder, already disappearing into the frost-covered forest that was surrounding their camp.  
  
Grinning, Jisung quickly pulled the jacket on, not even bothering to close it's buttons, and ran after her, bolting past Nesrin as soon as he caught up to her.  
Laughing the both of them sprinted through the forest, rounding the trunks of the leafless trees and jumping over scattered rocks while their feet made scrunching sounds on the frozen ground with every step.  
  
Soon they reached the small rock-formation that they had been heading for, Nesrin immediately climbing onto the biggest stone to settle down on.  
Jisung followed her without hesitation.  
  
As they sat beside each other, bodies pressed together to share each others' warmth and dangling their legs over the edge of the boulder, Nesrin reached into the pocket of her coat with an enthusiastic grin.  
  
“Guess, what I brought with me!”, she coaxed Jisung into turning towards her before she pulled the tattered book out from her jacket, eliciting a groan from the male omega.  
  
“Come on, Nes, you know I suck at reading!”, Jisung whined, letting his head fall back to stare at the white sky, his breath being visible within the cold air.  
  
Scoffing, Nesrin raised her finger at Jisung.  
  
“If you don't study, you won't get better at all!”, she chastised him in a serious tone, before her voice got playful.  
“Just imagine, how surprised and proud Channie-hyung would be!”  
  
With a huff, Jisung shoved her finger out of his face to look at her.  
  
“You are using the Channie-card and that is not fair!”, he grumbled moodily, knowing that he would probably give in anyways.  
The thought of Chan being proud of him always warmed his heart and made his ambition shoot up somehow, probably because he admired the older so much.  
  
Shrugging in an nonchalant manner, Nesrin grinned again.  
  
“I could also use the Hyunjin-card!”, she suggested innocently, laughing loudly when Jisung buried his flushed face in his hands.  
  
“Shut up that was forever ago!”, he whined, pulling one hand away from his head to jab his cackling friend in the ribs as revenge for her comment about his previous crush.  
  
Living down her laughing fit, Nesrin giggled slightly. “  
  
No but seriously!”, she replied once she had her breathing back under control.  
“Reading is important! You should know at least the basics!”  
  
Admitting defeat, Jisung sat back up and nodded.  
  
“Fine!”, he grumbled.  
“But only if you teach me that song afterwards that I heard you humming yesterday!”  
  
Grinning, Nesrin grabbed his outstretched hand and shook it solemnly. “  
  
Deal!”, she retorted before shoving her book in Jisung's lap.  
Flipping it open, she pointed at the first sentence of the second page. “  
  
Try to look for the characters I showed you two days ago!”, she ordered firmly, her expression suddenly much more focused than before and Jisung felt himself grow more concentrated as well.  
  
The minutes passed by as he tried to memorize everything Nesrin was telling him.  
  
“See this one?”, the girl asked, pointing at a certain character on the lower half of the page. “  
It's pronounced 'sa'! You should remember it well because it's the beginning of one of the most important words in the world!”  
  
Furrowing his brows, Jisung stared the character down, trying to force it's outlines into his brain.  
  
“It looks weird!”, he mumbled.  
“What is that most important word you were talking about?”  
  
Smiling, Nesrin raised her gaze to look at the white mountains that were visible in the distance, not appearing that far away anymore.  
Jisung had always liked, how close they seemed from the place that marked the territory of Nesrin's pack. “  
  
The most important word is 'saranghae'!”, she replied softly.  
“If you love someone, whether that is as a sibling, a friend or a mate, you should always tell them so, or at some point, it might be too late!”  
  
Jisung knew, what she was talking about.  
Time went by fast out here in the wilderness and no one ever knew, when the day would arrive that would end a person's stay on this earth.  
  
“Saranghae, Nes!”, he exclaimed after a short silence.  
“Although I hope, you'll stay with me for a bit longer!”  
  
Nesrin giggled in amusement.  
  
“Saranghae, Sung!”, she gave back with a grin.  
“And don't worry! Until I have been at the mountains at least once, I refuse to die!”  
  
Her gaze wandered over to the mighty buildings of stone that were towering at the horizon and her expression became wistful and admiring.  
  
“One day, I will climb them, Sung!”, she mumbled quietly.  
“I will climb them and feel like the queen of the land, looking down at everything! And nothing and no one will be able to touch me!”  
  
Smiling, Jisung bumped her shoulder lightly.  
  
“I know, you will!”, he assured confidently.  
“Whenever you want something, nothing can stop you!”  
  
He looked down onto the book in his lap.  
  
“Just look at me, you got me to study again!”, he added jokingly, the girl beside him breaking into a beautiful laugh, her long brown hair falling back and revealing her whole face.  
  
Jisung had always wondered, how it didn't bother her to always have a strand of hair falling into her eyes, but Nesrin had always loved letting her hair down for the wind to be able to play with it.  
Only when they went hunting did the omegian girl braid her locks into a long plait to not have them hindering her during her duty.  
  
“But -”, Jisung broke off their session, closing the book and shoving it back into Nesrin's hands before he slid off the boulder they had been sitting on. “-my butt is fucking cold, so let's get going! We've been here for forever!”  
  
Snorting, Nesrin put her book back into her pocket before following him, landing on the ground with much more grace than Jisung, who had simply fallen down with an inelegant thud.  
  
“Fine, let's go, frostbite!”, she laughed, pushing Jisung slightly so make him stumble.  
  
The omega gasped in mock offense and returning the gesture.  
  
“Excuse me for not wanting my butt-cheeks to die a horrible death of hypothermia!”, he huffed, Nesrin only cackling even harder.  
  
“Since when do you know words like 'hypothermia'!”, she wheezed, holding her stomach.  
“I bet you learned it from Channie!”  
  
Grinding his teeth at her correct guess, Jisung picked up a pine cone and threw it at her, his friend toppling over at it's impact with her shoulder but more from laughing than from the force from the small item.  
  
“Would you shut it? At least I learned the word and know what it means now!”, Jisung yelled, feigning annoyance but the corners of his lips were already tugging upwards and he couldn't suppress the giggle escaping his mouth.  
  
Calming down a bit, Nesrin rolled around and scrambled back to her feet, dusting her warming clothes off a bit before she turned back to Jisung with a grin. “  
  
Touché!”, she admitted before starting to walk into the direction of their camp.  
“Now come on, I'll teach you the song as promised!”  
  
Beaming, Jisung hurried after her, the two linking their arms together as they made their way home and with every new line his friend was teaching him, the omega couldn't help but be grateful for having been able to meet the person that he labeled his soulmate._  
__________  
  
Jisung woke up to the coldness on his skin, where in his dream Nesrin's warm arm had been pressed against his.  
It had felt eerily real, even if it had just been his imagination and a shiver rocked his body, as he sat up and looked around within the main hall.  
  
Nesrin's song was still echoing within his mind like a subconscious thought that he wasn't able to shake.  
  
The fire was glowing faintly, the last flames flickering within the dimly lit room and Jisung was able to make out the sleeping forms of Jeongin, Seungmin, Minho and Felix on the other side of the room, while beside him, Changbin and Hyunjin were also snuggled together tightly and still lost in dreamland.  
  
Chan and Woojin were nowhere to be seen, and Jisung assumed, that it was already time for the third shift of their watch, the one the two leaders had agreed on taking.  
He himself had had the pleasure of sleeping the whole night, just like Minho and Felix.  
  
Unable to go back to sleep due to his by memories riled up mind, Jisung carefully slipped out from under the warming covers and tiptoed his way over to the pile of wood beside the campfire, his bare feet almost freezing to ice at their contact with the stony floor.  
  
Quickly putting more wood into the circle of stones, Jisung went back to his sleeping place to slip on his boots before he grabbed his hoodie and walked towards the staircase.  
  
Quietly, he climbed up the steps until his eyes caught sight of the opening.  
The sky, that was visible through, it was still of a dark indigo, showing no sign of the upcoming morning although Jisung was pretty sure that it wasn't too early anymore.  
  
Halting shortly, he pulled his sweater on before he walked up the last few steps, entering the platform shortly after, when he was sure, that there was no conversation going on that he could interrupt.  
  
Fresh air whipped into his face and when he looked up, inhaling deeply, he could see how the sky had filled with thick clouds, preventing him from seeing the stairs again.  
  
“Jisung, what are you doing up already?”  
  
Woojin's voice was soft and sounded slightly worried, making Jisung smile as he turned to the alpha to wave shortly.  
  
“Hey hyung!”, he greeted, before facing Chan, who had stopped at his other side.  
“Morning, Channie-hyung!”  
  
“Couldn't sleep anymore, now could you?”, his leader asked quietly with a fond expression although his eyes looked dark with concern.  
Jisung guessed, Chan was assuming that he had been woken up by a nightmare.  
  
It wouldn't have been the first time, but today, Jisung was able to reassure the blond.  
  
“I just had enough sleep, since you guys insisted on me not taking over any watches!”, he explained with a chuckle and his carefree and honest tone seemed to convince Chan, the creases within his brows evening out.  
  
“Well, I guess, our watch is over now anyways!”, Woojin exclaimed with a yawn, his arms raising over his head to stretch before he brought them back down.  
“Do you guys wanna have some private time? If so then I'd go and wash myself since I didn't get to do that yesterday night!”  
  
Smiling, Chan waved the older off.  
  
“Sure, you go do that, me and Jisung will follow shortly!”, he assured the alpha, who only nodded and crossed the platform to disappear down the staircase.  
  
When his steps finally faded away in the distance, Chan turned towards Jisung once more.  
  
“What was it really, Sungie?”, he asked, eyes serious again, as he leaned back against the railing of the building. His arms came up to cross in front of his chest.  
“You're not someone to just 'wake up' like that!”  
  
Cursing inwardly, Jisung bit his lip while inspecting the floor.  
He really thought he had fooled his leader, but now that Chan was asking him directly, he couldn't find it in him to lie straight into the blond's face.  
  
If there was something Chan absolutely detested, it was lies.  
  
Therefore, he only shuffled a bit on his spot, hiding his frozen fingers within his long sleeves before he answered.  
  
“I dreamed of Nesrin!”  
  
Chan exhaled deeply.  
  
“How bad?”, he then asked quietly, his black eyes scanning Jisung's face and the omega felt weirdly exposed.  
Shaking his head, he avoided the blond's gaze once more.  
  
“Nothing bad, it was actually a very beautiful memory. It just felt very...”, he stopped his sentence for a moment before he added “...real!”  
  
Jisung felt as if his skin was still able to remember the warmth of Dream-Nesrin, his nose still picking up on whiffs of her sweet scent trailing through the air, although he knew, that it was impossible.  
Nesrin was gone and there was no way she would ever come back!  
  
She would never visit the mountains! Never teach him how to read again!  
He had taken care of that. He had...  
  
“Sungie! Sungie, hey you're starting to slip!”  
  
Chan's insistent voice pulled him back and Jisung had to blink a few times until he was able to grasp the situation.  
His heart was still beating wildly within his chest and his blood was rushing through his veins as if he had just run a mile.  
  
Willing himself to calm down, he took in deep breaths.  
  
“It's okay, I got it!”, he mumbled after a while, aware of Chan's concerned gaze that lingered on him.  
  
He knew, his leader wished to be able to hug him, but he also knew, that Chan would never do it without his permission.  
  
There were days, when Jisung was okay with skinship, like he had been yesterday.  
But today, he felt different, more fragile as if the simplest touch could make him shatter, erupt like a sleeping volcano, and therefore, Jisung only shook his head slightly.  
  
Chan immediately understood and kept his arms knotted together in front of his torso instead of wrapping them around the omega.  
  
A part of Jisung regretted his decision, wished for Chan to hold him tight and not let him go ever again, to shield him from everything the world might be throwing at them.  
But he knew, it was impossible.  
His body was forbidding him from doing so.  
So he swallowed his pleas and instead flashed Chan a short smile.  
  
“I know, what you are thinking, Channie-hyung!”, he mumbled softly, the blond focusing his tired eyes back on the omega.  
“You think I'm getting worse again, because of the encounter yesterday!”  
  
Sheepishly, Chan nodded, his jaw clenching. Jisung reached out one hand waiting, until Chan lay his own against his palm, their fingers intertwining.  
It was the only touch Jisung felt himself capable of today, and he wasn't gonna waste it.  
  
“Don't worry, Hyung, alright?”, Jisung assured.  
“I've always had better and worse days and that won't change just because something good or bad happens. So please have some faith in me, like I have in you, and give me time to recover! You said it yourself! This needs time to heal!”  
  
A part of Chan still looked wary, but nonetheless the blond gave a low chuckle, his fingers squeezing Jisung's hand softly.  
  
“Yeah, you're right!”, he muttered silently as his lips curled up into a little smile.  
“You know me, I always overthink too much!”  
  
Jisung nodded.  
  
“Yeah, I know you!”, he agreed.  
“We're family after all!”  
  
Letting go of his leader's hand again, he inhaled once more, his lungs filling with the refreshing air of the morning, that got more obvious now, with the slightly brightening horizon in the east.  
  
“We should go down and get ourselves ready as well!”, he suggested quietly, eyes wandering towards the mountains again, as they had done yesterday night as well.  
  
Probably the reason why he had dreamed of that particular scene between him and Nesrin.  
Stupid mountains!  
  
Pushing himself off the railing, Chan nodded.  
  
“Guess you're right again!”, he chuckled, tapping Jisung on the shoulder lightly as he brushed past him, the only gesture Jisung allowed all of his friends, even on his bad days.  
“We wouldn't want to miss today's hunt!”  
  
Laughing, Jisung shook his head and followed the older down the stairs again, his body almost grateful when he was able to escape the chilly air from outside.  
The thought of having to take a bath later on within the cold didn't delight Jisung in the least but neither did the expectation of continuing to stink, so he filed it under 'necessary inconvenience'.  
  
A wave of energy rushing through him, Jisung picked up his pace and bolted past a confused looking Chan, his feet skipping half of the steps on his way down.  
  
“Last one in the main hall looses!”, he yelled back over his shoulder, almost loosing his balance in the process but being able to catch himself in time before gravity could make him face-plant into the floor.  
  
Behind him, he heard Chan mutter a quiet “Oh, you did not!”, before haste steps could be heard following him.  
  
Jisung let out a happy laugh.  
He was determined to not let the past get to him again.  
He had his family! He had his new friends!  
There was nothing that guy could do to change that! Not anymore!  
  
This time, the past wouldn't catch up to them. Not this time!  
Jisung wanted to be sure of that!  
__________  
  
One week went by in a flash and Chan felt the energy slowly trickle out of his body with every passing day.  
  
He couldn't remember the last time he slept properly for more than an hour straight, most nights his mind preventing him from closing his eyes at all and by now he was about ready to ask Changbin to knock him out, just so he would be able to get some rest.  
  
He felt as if something was watching him, slowly creeping closer whenever he turned his back to it and the premonition of something possibly happening drove him mad.  
  
Today, Chan had therefore offered himself to stay behind and not help with the hunt, everyone else beside him and Seungmin having left the apartment-tower by now.  
  
Silence surrounded him, as he sat down on the stony staircase in front of the main entrance, his tired gaze scanning the clearing for any possible intruders, but of course - as all the day's before as well - he wasn't able to pick up on a single suspicious thing.  
  
Sighing, he let the cold breeze comb through his blond locks, it's chilly touch waking him up a bit.  
  
Of course he knew, that he had to get some rest somehow.  
If something really would happen, he wouldn't be of any use, if he fainted on the spot from exhaustion, but it wasn't like he didn't want to sleep!  
  
He just couldn't!  
  
Whenever Chan closed his eyes, they would snap open again, as if his mind wanted him to see something that he hadn't managed to detect yet.  
And during the rare times, when he actually managed to fall asleep - too exhausted to stay awake any longer - he instantly found himself in the same nightmare, over and over again, filled with blood, blades, tears and screams, the violence of his own mind and his memories punching him back to consciousness again.  
  
It was a never ending circle and Chan was honestly out of ideas of how to escape it.  
  
The scraping of the door behind him made him flinch, his head whipping around although his nose was already telling him, that the newcomer was no one to be scared of.  
  
“Hey, what are you doing out here?”  
  
Seungmin's voice was carefree and nonchalant, but Chan knew, that the healer was aware of the mayhem going on within his head.  
Seungmin somehow always managed to see right through him, similar to Jisung.  
  
“Just...thinking!”, he gave back, a tired smile tugging on his lips.  
  
Examining what Chan assumed to be his gorgeous black eye-bags that matched his dark orbs so beautifully, Seungmin let out a sigh.  
  
“Come on, Chan-hyung, don't pretend!”, he mumbled.  
“Did you even sleep at all yesterday?”  
  
Letting out a breathy laugh, Chan ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
“I got a solid eight minutes last night!”, he answered with a mock bragging tone within his voice.  
“Not consecutively, but don't worry, my vision's not even that blurry!”  
  
His dry humor earned him a slap against his shoulder and Chan couldn't help but laugh.  
With Seungmin, he always felt as if it was okay to be dead-honest, even about his flaws and weaknesses. Probably because the healer was the only one of the other back, who knew about one of Chan's secrets.  
  
“Seriously Hyung, what is going on?”, Seungmin asked, now more serious.  
“You look like you haven't slept in forever, and on top of that, you look behind yourself every ten steps as if you expect something to jump you any second now!”  
  
The omega grabbed Chan's wrist to force him to look him in the face.  
  
“Is there someone after you?”  
  
Another laugh escaped Chan, but this time, it sounded more like sob, even in his own ears.  
Quickly he swallowed, bracing himself for what he should say next.  
  
Seungmin had always been the smartest one out of his pack, that was for sure!  
  
“I don't know, Minnie!”  
  
His voice was so quiet and insecure. He really was a poor excuse of a leader.  
Lucky him, his friends weren't here to witness his current state.  
  
“I don't know and I feel like I should, but I don't! And my mind is killing me because of it!”  
  
He breathed out shakily, forcing his tears back down.  
Man, his exhaustion was really getting to him! Normally he wasn't this emotional!  
  
“But you still don't want to tell me, what happened?”  
  
Seungmin's words were more of a statement than a question and Chan felt bitter guilt boil up within his stomach.  
He hated lying but he couldn't persuade himself to spill the truth either.  
Screw him for being such a coward!  
  
Sighing deeply at his unspoken answer, Seungmin let go of his wrist again, his gaze wandering over the clearing as well.  
  
“Look, Hyung,”, he said softly. “I won't force you to talk about something you don't want to, but like this, I won't be able to help you!”  
  
“I don't expect you to help me, Minnie!”  
  
This time, Chan was sure of what to say.  
This was not Seungmin's responsibility! It was his own burden to carry.  
  
“There is nothing you could do, trust me! I will talk about it eventually, just...”, he swallowed gravely. “...not today!”  
  
Accepting his words, Seungmin nodded.  
  
“Alright, mystery-boy, have it your way!”,the omega mumbled softly, before he seemed to remember something.  
“What about your other secret? Will you tell them soon?”  
  
Chan felt his posture crumble a bit more and he grimaced with discomfort at the thought.  
  
Seungmin rolled his eyes.  
  
“You know they would never judge you, right?”, he asked dryly as he threw Chan a side glance.  
“Woojin thinks, you are an amazing leader! That won't change, just because of that!”  
  
Leaning back onto his hands, Chan closed his eyes.  
  
  
_'They will never accept you as a leader! Not the way you are!'_  
_  
'Whatever you will do, they will judge you directly for your Actions! You have nothing to blame it on!'  
_  
_'They will fear you in the best case and hate you in the worst!'  
_  
_'What do you mean, you don't feel anything inside? That's not possible!'  
_  
  
_'Chan-ah, listen to me! You can't ever tell others, that you don't feel what they feel, alright? They wouldn't understand! You have nothing to control your Actions with but your own mind! People fear that power! Don't ever tell anyone!'_  
  
  
He knew.  
He knew, they wouldn't judge him, just like Jisung, Changbin and Hyunjin hadn't.  
But they would, as soon as they found out about the rest of his secret.  
  
“I know about Woojin!”, he answered instead to not having to reply to Seungmin's first statement.  
“I'm not blind! He always looks at me as if I am something to be proud of!”  
He scoffed.  
“As if he weren't the best leader, but me, the poor excuse of an alpha!”  
  
Chuckling, Seungmin shook his head.  
  
“You shouldn't call him a leader out loud, because trust me, he hates that title!”  
  
Opening his eyes and turning towards the omega in genuine surprise, Chan raised one brow.  
  
“He's not the leader?”, he asked in confusion, making Seungmin giggle.  
  
“No no, he is!”, the healer replied reassuringly.  
“He just doesn't like ranks, in fact, hates them to the core!”  
  
Cocking his head to the side, Chan frowned a bit.  
  
“Why? What's so bad about taking over responsibility for your family?”  
  
“Well,”, shuffling a bit in his spot, Seungmin sat up a little straighter, his brown hair swaying a bit in the wind as he stared off into the distance.  
“Remember how I told you about mine and his parents? How they only accepted alphas as the one true strong gender?”  
  
Chan nodded.  
  
“Not only did they think that but also did they have the opinion, that a leader was only strong, if they were alone and feared, no one daring to step up to them.”, the omega further explained, his expression becoming bitter as he went on.  
“I didn't get much of attention back then, since I was an omega, only allowed to live because Woojin stood up for me, but my brother got that philosophy branded into is head again and again. But instead of letting them brainwash him, Woojin grew to hate them and everything about ranks!”  
  
Taking in a sharp breath, Chan clasped his hands together, intertwining his own fingers as he leaned forward a bit.  
  
“Guess he hates me calling myself leader as well then, now does he?”, he asked quietly.  
  
Honestly he had never thought about ranks this way. For him, being the leader meant to protect his friends and not order them around!  
That was, what his parents had taught him and what his heart was telling him to do.

It wasn't like Chan had anything else he could listen to.  
  
Chuckling, however, Seungmin shook his head.  
  
“That's the point!”, the omega answered with a smile.  
“You were always different, have always portrayed the role of a leader differently and that is why you impressed him so much!”  
  
He snorted.  
  
“You're basically his role-model!”  
  
Chan knew, Seungmin didn't have any ill intentions, but the healer's words made him sick nonetheless, hot bile rising within his throat and forcing him to swallow it back down to avoid throwing up right in front of the omega.  
  
Chan wasn't a role model!  
He was nothing! He wasn't even a proper alpha!  
  
“Chan, are you okay?”  
  
Seungmin sounded concerned at Chan's toppled over form and the blond quickly sat himself up again, smiling at the younger reassuringly, although he felt like screaming and vomiting at the same time.  
  
“Yeah I'm fine, the thought of Woojin-hyung picturing me as someone admirable was just weird, since he's older than me!”  
  
Seungmin didn't look fully convinced, but when Chan shot him another grin, that hid the blond's true feelings, the omega gave in with a shrug.  
  
“Age doesn't define maturity!”, he simply answered, Chan only humming along to his words.  
  
This was not about age and not about maturity either, but Chan guarded his tongue to not say that out loud.  
And thankfully, Seungmin didn't comment anything else, as they waited for the others to return.  
  
_'You are solely to blame for your action and nothing else! You are a failure of nature!'  
___________  
  
  
_Jisung woke up with a shiver, coldness seemingly invading his whole body.  
Sleepily reaching for Nesrin, he extended his arm, only for his hand to touch cool fur beside him that indicated his friend's absence. S  
  
itting up, Jisung blinked a few times to get used to the darkness within his tent, before he looked around.  
  
His and Nesrin's furs, that they used as sheets at night, had been kicked off – an Explanation f_ _or why he was feeling so cold – and the tent was void of any other human being beside him.  
  
Where the hell was Nes? She usually never woke up during the night, similar to him!  
  
Frowning, Jisung peeled himself out of his warm bedding and reached for his jacket, that hung beside him, to pull it on.  
Then, he stepped out onto the clearing.  
  
Not a sound could be heard, everyone probably deeply asleep, like it was normal for an average person in the middle of the night, as Jisung looked around.  
The ground was covered in ripe and the clouds hung deep within the sky. Not too long and it would probably start snowing.  
  
Giggling slightly in anticipation, Jisung started walking around, careful not to step on any twigs, that could wake up anyone.  
  
Chan for example! That boy was one hell of a light sleeper!  
  
When he didn't catch sight of his friend in the middle of their camp, Jisung went out of the circle of tents to search for Nesrin along the treeline of the forest, that surrounded them.  
  
Why hadn't she woken him up?  
  
Normally, whenever Nesrin went out at night, which she had done a few times, she would always ask Jisung to come along.  
It was kind of their thing, sometimes sneaking away at night simply to break the rules of staying-in during the hours of darkness, and look at the stars.  
  
He was in the process of rounding a tree trunk, when suddenly, Jisung was able to catch on to a muffled sound, coming from deeper within the forest.  
Frowning, he halted his movements to stare into the shadows.  
  
Had that been Nesrin? Or was it maybe an animal?  
  
He wasn't too sure and the thought of entering the forest all alone at night, to search for his friend - that could be anywhere as far as he knew Nes - was not one, that made his stomach jump in delight.  
  
“Nes?”, he called out carefully, not wanting to wake anyone up but trying to make whatever was out there hear him, in case it did turn out to be his friend.  
  
Again, a muffled sound could be heard and this time, Jisung felt a shiver run down his spine in response.  
  
Something was out there and it didn't sound good.  
  
But since it had answered to his call, he had to assume, that it actually was Nesrin.  
And if it was, then maybe, his friend needed his help! '  
  
Heavens, screw it!', Jisung thought before he pulled himself together and started heading into the direction the sound had been coming from.  
  
As soon as he left the clearing, his surroundings got even darker, but Jisung tried not to think about it, all of his senses set on finding his friend._  
_Carefully, he snuck through the night, trying to not make too loud steps on the frozen foliage under his soles.  
  
Another sound made him flinch and he stopped again, frowning.  
  
What was going on?  
  
Suddenly, a gush of air stroked his nose, making him scrunch his face up in disgust.  
It carried the scent of...blood?  
  
The heavy smell lingered in the air and suddenly, Jisung felt fear curse through his veins.  
  
Something seriously wrong was happening here and he had no idea what to do!  
Was Nesrin in danger? Was he in danger?  
  
And if yes, what kind of danger?  
  
A muffled cry, filled with pain and despair ripped him out of his frozen state and the next second, Jisung was running towards the direction it had sounded from, his breath going hard, along with his wildly pulsating heart.  
Meanwhile, his mind was only screaming one single word, over and over again:  
  
Nesrin!  
  
The smell of blood got stronger, the scent hanging in the air like a thick fog that Jisung had trouble cutting through.  
He felt like throwing up, but forced himself to ignore the urge to gag and focus on his main goal.  
  
Saving his friend!  
  
Rounding another tree, he almost tripped over the thing lying on the ground there.  
  
Coming to a skidding halt, Jisung scanned the silhouette properly with heaving lungs.  
His whole world froze.  
  
It was, as if time had stopped, all oxygen being ripped away from his lips.  
His skin felt numb, his head light as if weight wasn't something that mattered anymore, yet Jisung didn't seem to be able to move, his body glued on the spot.  
  
In front of him, on the brown leaves of the trees, lay an almost white looking body.  
It's clothes had been torn open, revealing the person's frail skin, which contrasted cruelly with the crimson paint that was splattered all over the Body. It came from between its legs and a huge slash on the person's neck that was cutting it's throat in half.  
  
Brown strands of hair were scattered all around the head, looking like a dark halo and amber-colored orbs were staring into the dark sky, void of any life.  
The bloodless lips of the person were parted as if caught in a cry for help.  
  
But there was no help left to give.  
  
“Nes...-rin?”  
  
Was that his own voice?  
Jisung wasn't sure.  
  
He wanted to look away, rip his eyes away from the gruesome scene in front of him, but he couldn't.  
His body was still immobile, as if his brain had forgotten how to command his muscles.  
  
But then, in the fraction of a second, the world started spinning again - faster than ever before – and brought Jisung back to reality.  
He gagged and stumbled two steps backwards, his whole body trembling hard, as his eyes still wouldn't turn away from the girl's lifeless body.  
  
His mouth opened as if it had a will of its own and Jisung felt his chest convulse, as a scream found his way out his throat, but was stopped, as pale fingers wrapped around his mouth from behind, squeezing so hard that it hurt.  
  
Another strong arm wrapped around his torso, effectively trapping him.  
And Jisung was certain, that he would die!_  
  
Gasping, Jisung shot awake, his arms flinging around to fight off any possible attackers, but they only met cold air.  
  
Breathing heavily, he frantically tried to forget the horrid scenes, that were branded into his memory, but as always, it wasn't working.  
  
Hot tears started to cloud Jisung's vision, as he hugged his own shivering form, but even his own touch felt foreign and hostile, so he let his hands fall back into his lap, fingers clawing at the blanket as he waited for his pounding heart to calm down.  
  
Although his brain immediately realized, that he wasn't in danger anymore, his body didn't seem to be able to follow, because even after what felt like minutes, Jisung still felt his shoulders rise with every choked breath and his head spin from fear.  
  
He wanted to press one hand against his mouth to muffle his cries and sobs, but the thought of having something cover his lips again, just like back then, made him feel sick to the core.  
  
“Sungie?”  
  
Chan's concerned voice made Jisung look up and his eyes fell on the blond's outstretched hand.  
  
_Pale, so pale!_  
  
Shaking his head frantically, Jisung denied his leader's silent beg of allowing him to come closer from his spot beside a still sound asleep Changbin, as he quietly wept to himself.  
  
He wanted help, he really did, but if Chan came any closer now, he was sure he would panic! Or throw up!  
Both, in the worst case!  
  
For a few seconds, it was quiet, save for Jisung's soft sniffles.  
Then, Chan cleared his throat.  
  
“Sungie, I won't come over, but I need you to talk to me, alright?"  
  
Nodding since he was unable to form proper words at the moment, Jisung shakily exhaled, before he pressed his sleeve against his wet eyes to dry his tears.   
It really had been a while since the last time he had cried properly.  
  
“You dreamed of her again?”  
  
Another sob rocked Jisung's body, but he quickly pressed his lips together in fear of waking anyone else up.  
Currently, Woojin and Hyunjin were on watch, meaning it was morning again, since the two alpha's had been in charge of the third shift.  
Jisung himself had been on the first one, together with Felix.  
  
“It was a memory! A full-blown flashback!”, he pressed out as lowly as possibly, fingers continuously trembling as he forced himself to let go of the blanket.  
  
Why did he feel so cold suddenly? The fire was still burning a little, after all!  
But despite the small flames beside him, Jisung felt cold as ice!  
  
“It's okay, Sungie, I'm here, alright!”, Chan mumbled from his spot.  
“You are not alone! Changbin and I are here for you! You are save!”  
  
His tone was even and soft and along with the blond's soothing scent, Jisung felt his muscles slowly starting to relax again, the spinning of his head coming to a halt.  
  
Chan was right, he was safe. Nothing would happen to him!  
He would never have to go through that scarring experience again!  
  
Taking deep breaths, Jisung willed his beating heart to settle down.  
Then he set his eyes back on Chan, who was still eyeing him with a pained gaze.  
  
“It's okay, Channie, I'm better now!”, he whispered, voice still shaking a little despite his words.  
“Thanks for helping me!”  
  
Then he frowned.  
  
“I'm sorry, I woke you up!”  
  
Waving him off, Chan smiled softly.  
  
“Don't worry, I was already awake!”, he reassured, but that only deepened the crease within Jisung's brows.  
  
As he examined Chan properly, he only then realized, how dark the shades under his black eyes actually were and how tired and exhausted the blond's face looked, cheeks a little hollow and pale chapped lips pressed together.  
  
“Channie, you're not sleeping!”, he breathed in shock.  
Why hadn't he noticed, that not only his own nightmares were coming back but Chan's as well?  
  
Giving a humorless chuckle, Chan carded a hand through his tousled hair.  
  
“I am sleeping!”, he reassured in a not very persuading tone.  
“Just not as much as I'd like to!”  
  
“When did that start again?” Jisung asked quietly.  
Talking to Chan also made him forget about his own dream, so he almost enjoyed the distraction.  
  
Although the topic was not something he liked to hear about.  
  
Sighing, Chan rubbed a hand over his drained looking face.  
  
“About a week ago, right after the trip!”, he answered quietly.  
“My mind just can't seem to shut up!”  
  
Trying to get his fingers to warm up again, Jisung exhaled.  
  
“You have it, too right?”, he then asked, making Chan look at him questioningly.  
“The persistent feeling, that something's about to happen!”  
  
Nodding, the blond ruffled his hair again, his bangs already sticking up in every possible direction.  
Under any other circumstances, Jisung would have laughed at his leader, but right now, laughing was the very last thing that came to his mind.  
  
“Yeah, I have it, too!”, Chan confirmed Jisung's suspicion.  
“It's like there is something waiting in my back, ready to jump me at any second!”  
  
The blond shuddered.  
  
“I can't close my eyes at night because of it!”  
  
Clenching his jaw, Jisung stared off into space shortly.  
  
“Today's not gonna be a good day!”, he then mumbled.  
  
It wasn't a pessimistic mindset of his but rather a premonition, a bad feeling that was stuck inside his bones ever since he had woken up.  
Chan simply nodded in agreement.  
  
“Yeah, I think so, too!”, the blond answered lowly.  
“Let's stick together today, no matter what!”  
  
Jisung could only second that suggestion.  
__________  
  
Woojin wasn't sure, why, but he felt as if there was some kind of tension in the air.  
  
Ever since he had come down into the main hall this morning, finding both, Chan and Jisung already awake, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling, that something had happened.  
  
Both boys tried their best to conceal their feelings, but Woojin wasn't blind.  
He could see the tense shoulders, the searching looks and the uneasy gazes of the two.  
  
Something was wrong and it riled Woojin up not to know what it was.  
  
Nonetheless he masked his irritation with a smile, pushing his thoughts into the far back of his consciousness and tried to focus on the more important matters.  
Their hunt for example!  
  
Chan's entire pack had volunteered to join him and Minho today, enabling them to form three small groups, while Felix stayed behind with Seungmin and Jeongin, the three of them guarding the tower.  
  
At first, Woojin had assumed, Jisung would again want to pair up with Minho, but the omega had immediately stuck to Chan's side as soon as they had left the building and entered the frost-covered forest, and so, Woojin and Minho had ended up together.  
  
Not that the oldest complained. He loved hunting with his best friend!  
  
Right now, they were striding through between the dark tree-trunks, steps quiet and soft as to not scare away any possible prey.  
  
Checking, whether the long knife within his belt was still there, Woojin willed himself to relax.  
If he wasn't calm, neither would his scent be and that made it all the easier for deer to smell him.  
  
Minho on his left suddenly motioned to the ground, where fresh hoof-prints could be seen on a muddy spot, leading away from them.  
Sharing a quick glance, both alphas started heading in the direction the prints were leading to, their movements fluid and calculated.  
  
Feeling the rush of a hunt flow through his veins, Woojin pulled his lips into a grin.  
This was what he knew and was capable of!  
No secrets, no mysteries, just simple, plain, old hunting!  
  
In that moment, Minho pointed ahead of them with a meaningful look in his eyes and a smirk on his face.  
  
Visible through the trees was the brown fur of a clueless deer, gnawing on a few last leaves, that had yet to fall off their small tree.  
  
Nodding, Woojin pointed his finger, first to himself, then to the right, his friend giving him a thumbs up before the alpha snuck away to the left.  
  
Exhaling, Woojin began rounding the deer as well, his eyes not leaving the animal while he and Minho slowly circled it before they started to come closer.  
When Woojin accidentally stepped on a twig, the fragile wood breaking under his shoe, he almost thought, their chance was over, but apparently, the deer was hungry enough to discard the noise as nothing threatening, since it only flicked its ears shortly, scanning its surroundings once before it went back to eating.  
  
Sighing mutely in relief, Woojin kept walking, using the trees and bushes around him as cover to be able to get closer and closer.  
  
In front of him and practically right in front of the still unsuspecting animal, Woojin could see Minho hiding behind a tree, as the alpha peaked around the trunk, sending him a questioning look.  
Woojin only nodded.  
  
With a speed, that was the outcome of years of experience and training, Woojin shot out from his cover, jumping at the horrified deer that tried to escape, only to run right into Minho's outstretched arms, who grabbed it's neck and immediately kicked the prey's legs out from under it's body, making it loose it's balance and crash to the ground.  
  
Being right at his friend's side, Minho holding the thrashing deer down, Woojin quickly pulled his knife out and drew it over the animals throat in one swift motion while avoiding to get kicked by the animal's flying hooves.  
  
A hit like that could give him a dangerous injury in the worst case.  
And in the best, it still hurt like a bitch!  
  
Not even a second later, the deer's movements grew weaker, until they fully stopped, as the light within it's eyes died, leaving behind only it's body for Woojin and Minho to take.  
  
Groaning, Minho rose to his feet again, dusting his pants off.  
  
“Man, back then when you made that noise, I really thought, we were done for!”, the alpha exclaimed, as he stretched his hands over his head.  
  
Chuckling, Woojin reached out to close the deer's eyes, before he silently sent it's soul off.  
It was something, Felix had asked him to do. Always be grateful for what you take and never take too much.  
  
He assumed it had been a moral for the freckled boy's family to live after and since he couldn't exactly find a flaw within those words, he had given Felix the promise to always do so, too, whenever he was the one to make the kill.  
Then, he turned back to Minho.  
  
“Me, too!”, he admitted with a grin.  
“Luckily, we weren't the only ones hungry!”  
  
Laughing, Minho nodded, before suddenly, his eyes became narrow, the alpha staring behind Woojin with a guarded expression.  
When the oldest turned around, he could see, why.  
  
Out of the forest, a woman had stepped, now walking towards them calmly, both hands raised in obvious surrender, showing the two boys, that she was unarmed and meant no harm.  
  
Nonetheless, Woojin could hear Minho growl lowly behind him.  
  
“A great catch!”  
  
The voice of the woman was rough yet soft, as she came to a halt, about three meters away from Woojin.  
Her body was clothed in simple black fabrics that complimented her slim form, save for the red scarf wrapped around her neck, and her long black hair was braided into one thick plait, that fell over her right shoulder.  
  
She looked completely normal, could even be considered beautiful with her dark-brown eyes, which looked at Woojin with honesty and he couldn't bring himself to be completely hostile towards her.  
  
“Thank you!”, he replied curtly, standing up to not stay in his crouched position.  
Despite him not feeling any kind of danger radiating off of the woman, he didn't put his knife away just yet.  
  
Not like he wanted to fight her, but a weapon could be intimidating.  
  
“Do you ave any kind of purpose with us?”  
  
The woman shook her head with a soft laugh, that made her eyes wrinkle a bit, indicating that she was probably much older than Woojin, although her appearance seemed young and strong.  
  
“No, I don't know you and neither do you know me, so I get that there's not much trust present between the both of us!”  
  
She smiled.  
  
“Your friend seems pretty suspicious of me anyways!”  
  
Risking a side-glance towards Minho, Woojin threw the other alpha a warning glare, since the boy had started to growl subconsciously, letting his sharp scent seep out.  
  
Only now did Woojin realize, that he couldn't smell the woman.  
Not even the whiff of a foreign scent was drifting his way, and he guessed, that that was the reason, why Minho seemed so irritated.  
His friend was used to identifying people by their smell.  
  
Not taking the time to overthink, why exactly the woman was odor-less, Woojin focused back on her, cocking his head to the side a bit, as he frowned.  
  
“Don't mind him!”, he commented with a point of his finger behind him towards Minho.  
“But what do you want from us then?”  
  
The woman shuffled her weight from one foot to the other.  
  
“I am looking for someone and I need to find them quickly!”, she explained, a certain kind of need within her voice.  
“I was hoping, you could maybe help me. They must have come around here somewhere!”  
  
Woojin furrowed his brows a bit.  
  
Intruders? Here, within their territory? He hadn't picked up on any strange or unfamiliar scents for the past few days.  
Turning to Minho, he threw the other alpha a questioning look, but his friend only shrugged his shoulders, apparently not having smelled anything unusual either.  
  
Facing the woman again, Woojin shook his head.  
  
“Sorry but no one has passed by here!”, he answered honestly.  
“I wouldn't know, whom you might mean!”  
  
Looking disappointed, the woman sighed deeply.  
  
“Really?”, she asked one more time.  
“Their leader is pretty eye-catching. He's the only person I know with white hair!”  
  
Something clicked within Woojin and his jaw almost dropped.  
  
This strange woman was looking for Chan and his friend's for some reason!  
But why? Aside from Nesrin, the other leader had never mentioned any woman they had known.  
  
Could she be a part of the pack of this Jaebum-guy?  
  
“You're looking for Chan?”  
  
Apparently, Minho had put together two and two as well.  
  
The woman's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
“You know them?”, she exclaimed, looking pleasantly flashed.  
“Then do you know, where to find them? I need to tell them something and it's pretty urgent!”  
  
Throwing her one last scrutinizing look, Woojin raised one eyebrow.  
He couldn't see why this woman would impose a threat on them, since she was alone and they were six people in total, so he finally nodded.  
  
“You can come with us, we can bring you to them!”, he offered.  
“They went hunting with us so they shouldn't be far!”  
  
Minho's gaze bored into him from the side, his friend looking at him doubtingly, how Woojin assumed, but the woman in front of them looked unarmed and honest, so the oldest brushed his worries aside.  
  
It wasn't like he had invited her into the apartment-tower!  
  
Smiling gratefully, the woman brushed a strand of her hair back, that had gotten loose from her braid.  
  
“Thank you so much, this...”, she started, coming a few steps closer, when suddenly, her kind expression morphed into something pained and furious, her black eyes widening, just as someone screamed from behind Woojin.  
  
“WOOJIN! MINHO! GET AWAY FROM HER!”  
  
Before Woojin could even try to turn around, someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him backwards, the oldest almost loosing his balance in the process.  
  
Finally finding his stance again, Woojin looked up, only to see Chan's broad back in front of him, shielding him and Minho, as well as all of his own pack-mates, who were standing beside Woojin.  
  
All of them were radiating fear, mixed with something like anger, and Woojin had no idea, about what was currently going on. But when he let his gaze wander back towards the woman, he immediately knew, that she had something to do with the big mystery the four boys, they had met only a few weeks ago, had been carrying around with themselves.  
  
Eyes mere slits, that were focused on Chan in the front, her expression had turned into a grimace of pain, grief and anger, but more than anything, her features were distorted with pure hatred.  
  
As her lips parted, a shrill voice escaped them, forming one single word, that let Woojin's heart stop for a second, his blood freezing in his veins.  
  
“MURDERER!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the cliff-hanger!!! Please don't kill me yet!  
> I really didn't do this on purpose, it's just that the chapters are placed like this and because of my new-ish rule of not posting two chapters at the same day but on two consecutive days, it somehow came out like this!
> 
> I know this chapter is short, but the next is way longer to make it even! And although this chapter doesn't reveal everything, the next tomorrow will Close of any remaining holes in the Story. (Save for a few Details that will later be revealed!)
> 
> Please allow me to live! i promise, the waiting is coming to an end! And it will be a happy one!
> 
> I hope, you liked the chapter despite the cliff-hanger and aren't too done with my whole patience-demand to read tomorrows chapter as well!  
> Stay save!
> 
> P.S. I probably don't deserve it, but i'd still be happy about any Kind of comment! Luv u all!<3^.^


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!  
> Graphic description of violence/injuries/blood+gore  
> decription of rape/non-con/murder  
> strong language
> 
> If you are triggered by any of the above, you should Refrain form reading this chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for updating so late after the cliff-hanger yesterday!  
> I got up extra early today to update before i had to go to work, but my very dear friend 'Wifi' (*insert very passive agressive smile, paired with clenched fists*) apparently had other plans!  
> It just wouldn't work, kicking me out whenever i wanted to upload the chapter and even now, ive been sitting at my Laptop for over two hours again.
> 
> I so hope it works this time, because if i have to write These notes one more time after the past four tries, i seriously consider Dumping my Laptop within our Pond!!!
> 
> Ahhhh i'm already through two mental breakdowns, i swear! I am getting gray hair because of this!
> 
> Okay, i'm done now, enjoy reading, in case the update works!;)

(Warning! Partly overlapping Scenes!)

Chan had known from the very start, that today wouldn't be good. 

He had felt it in his bones, had sensed it in the air and had heard it in the whispers of the wind.  
That something would happen!

Over the past few days, the premonition he had carried around with himself ever since the trip towards the shopping center, had only worsened.  
He had already deemed it strong at the time, when he had talked to Seungmin about it, but yesterday night, it had reached a new peak and had grown big enough to swallow him whole. 

All night long, Chan had been unable to close his eyes for even a second.  
What once were only shadows, became monsters in his mind and every few minutes, he had meant to pick up on Her silent steps, letting him perk up in panic, before his brain informed him of another false alarm.  
When additionally, Jisung had screamed himself awake from a nightmare about their past – his condition too bad to even allow Chan to get any closer – the blond had known, that he had been right all along. 

Something would happen!

Now it had happened. 

When he had caught onto signs of her presence once more during his hunt with Jisung, he had known instantly, that this time, it wasn't a mistake anymore.  
This time his nightmare was real!

So he immediately had stopped their hunt and gathered his friends to catch up to Woojin and Minho - Only to find them already in confrontation with their enemy.

Seeing her again was weird.  
Chan had expected to be scared, to fear of something like the last incident happening again, but for some reason, all he felt was pain.  
So much pain, that his once close friend now felt nothing but hatred for him.

And she had every right to.

Nonetheless, he couldn't let her harm his friends. He couldn't allow her to even so much as touch Woojin and his pack.  
Because he had made the decision to stay. Now he had to take responsibility and keep them save!

“WOOJIN! MINHO! GET AWAY FROM HER!”

He almost flinched at the volume of his own voice but his body was too busy running.  
He had to get there in time, had to prevent her from attacking before he even reached Woojin and Minho!

As if time was slowed down, Chan saw her features contort with ugly feelings, all of them directed at him.

_'Zillah, what happened to us?'_

Finally, Chan reached Woojin. His hand grabbed the alpha's sweater and he pulled him backwards. The older stumbled and Chan bit his lip to not apologize.  
At least, Woojin was save behind him. 

Woojin, who had always looked at him with a smile and gentle eyes.  
Woojin who seemed to care so much for everyone around him.  
Woojin who had thought, Chan was someone special.  
Woojin, who would now look at Chan the same way never again. Because now, he would know. 

A sharp sting shot up Chan's chest, so agonizingly painful he had to suppress a gasp.  
So that was, what it felt like to loose someone you loved. He hadn't felt it in years. 

There were tears wanting to escape his burning eyes, but Chan refused to let them.  
He didn't deserve to cry!  
__________

Woojin was confused beyond wits and he wasn't even sure, which question to start with or whom to ask them anyways. 

Murderer?  
Whom did she mean? What was she talking about? 

His thoughts got interrupted by Chan, whose voice seemingly consisted purely of compressed emotions. 

“Zillah!”, he growled.  
“Get lost! Turn around, walk away and never come back! We did nothing you could seriously blame us for!”

Gaze switching to Chan's form, Woojin's jaw stayed slack.  
So Chan did know the woman! But from where? And why did she seem so angry?

Zillah laughed dryly, but it was more of a choking noise.

“Not blame you for?”, she breathed in obvious disbelief.  
“You killed him, Chan!” 

Her voice rose to a cry of pain, as she yelled out: “You killed my mate!”

Silence.

This couldn't be true, right?  
Woojin knew, Chan would never kill someone. 

Chan with his blond locks and his dark eyes that always seemed to hide some kind of mystery.  
Chan, who loved skateboarding and got all excited when he was able to teach Woojin.  
Chan, the greatest leader Woojin had ever seen!

“There must be some kind of mistake!”, he heard himself say, although his words were probably too low for the woman opposite them to hear.  
But Zillah immediately perked up at his statement, her glistening eyes setting on him, and suddenly, Woojin felt scared. 

Not of her, but of what she was about to say.

“Oh, so you haven't told your friends?” 

Again, she gave an incredulous laugh. 

“The boy, who hates nothing more than unnecessary violence and lies, goes and kills a man and doesn't even confess it to the people closest to him?” 

She threw Chan another withering look. 

“Shame on you!” 

Then she fixated Woojin once more and lowered her voice a bit.

“Never trust a someone out here, until you know, what it was that they did to survive for this long!”

Woojin felt as if the air got knocked out of his lungs.  
Chan was supposed to be a murderer? That couldn't be right! 

His gaze went over to Jisung in the expectation of the vivacious omega defending his most beloved leader, but when he finally caught sight of the boy, his mouth went dry at Jisung's appearance. 

Face contorted with pure horror, the omega had backed away and wasn’t now standing behind Hyunjin.   
One hand was clawing to the tall alpha's sweater, while his brown eyes were widened and glazed over, as if he was seeing things, Woojin wasn't even capable of. 

Hyunjin himself had a murderous glint lighting up his dark orbs, although he, too, had fear all written over his face.  
Changbin had stepped in front of his two friends, standing right behind Chan with one hand on his leader's shoulder, which rendered him almost right beside Woojin.

“I couldn't just let him go on with his gruesome actions!” 

Chan's voice was trembling slightly, but nonetheless, the words were unmistakable.  
The blond had just confessed to having killed this woman's mate. 

The ground beneath Woojin's feet swayed slightly.  
He felt betrayed, shocked and confused at the same time, yet none of his emotions was really present.   
Instead they were just dancing around behind a wall his brain seemed to have built to stay void of any distractions.

“You fucking killed him!”, Zillah screamed again, a tear now running down her cheek and hands tugging at her clothing, right above the spot where her heart was located.  
But this time, Chan didn't stay quiet.

“He killed Nesrin!”, the blond shouted back furiously.  
“After he fucking raped her! And he would have done the same to Jisung if I hadn't been there in time!”

His rage caught Woojin by surprise.  
Never before had he seen Chan this riled up before. The blond had always been somewhat calm and collected to a certain level.  
But now, the leader's voice was almost flowing over with feelings, caged emotions, that were now spilling out after having been suppressed for too long.

And Woojin finally was able to get a look at the bigger picture.

Jisung's fear of being held down, his friend Nesrin, who had died at a much too young age, Chan's protectiveness of the young omega and their suspicion towards him and his pack. Everything was starting to make a little more sense, but by now, Woojin wasn't too sure anymore, whether he wanted to know all the details.

Suddenly toning her voice down a bit, Zillah smiled sadly.

“I thought, you were different, Chan!”, she mumbled.  
“I thought, at least you would understand, how much he meant to me. Someone, who loved me despite me being this abomination, this living mistake!” 

She grabbed a part of her red scarf and pulled it down, only to reveal long scars above both of her scentglans, which certainly had destroyed them permanently.  
It made Woojin's guts squirm. 

So that was, why the woman had no scent! She must have lost it!

“See this?”, Zillah asked, eyes still on a mute Chan.  
“Every time I feel them I am reminded of him! But he will never come back and it rips a hole into my heart over and over again!” 

She choked out a sob. 

“Because you took him from me!”

Woojin could see Chan's fists curl up beside the blond's body and Changbin's grip on the leader's shoulder tighten.

“Did you really not see it?”, Chan asked, voice now softer as well, but still laced with sadness and anger.  
“Or were you just too afraid to look? He told you to scar yourself? What is so admirable about that?

“No, he suggested, that I scar myself!”, Zillah gave back.  
“And I did it, made my own decision! Like he always let me. And I didn't regret it even once!” 

She smiled shortly. 

“Never has anyone looked at me with disgust in their eyes ever again, now that they think I at least had a scent at some point in my life!”

Scoffing, Chan shook his head.  
Woojin would have liked to see the blond's face, but unfortunately he was standing too far in the back.

“So now, that they are looking at you with pity, you're satisfied?”, Chan asked bitterly.

Zillah narrowed her eyes to slits, as she answered, vehemently spitting out her words, directly into Chan's face. 

“If I have to choose between pity and raging hatred, disgust, the feeling that I am a mistake of nature - “, she stopped shortly, taking in a deep breath. “- then I'll gladly choose pity and show everyone, that there is nothing to feel sorry for, that I'm not weak, despite my disabilities and wounds!”

Something clicked in Woojin, as realization rolled over him. 

This woman was a beta! People, who were born without a second gender, scent or good senses, equaling how humans had been before the great war.  
Now, they were looked down on, because no one thought, that someone without senses was able to survive out here for too long, let alone find a partner.  
Scents played a very important role in this world and Woojin had to admit, that he himself would have been extremely confused, if he had to live with this woman without smell. 

“But,”, Zillah spoke up again with a dismissive gesture of her hand. “I didn't come here to argue with you about my life-choices!”

And suddenly, there was a weapon within her hand.  
Not just any weapon, but a long and sharp knife, that looked practically monstrous compared to Woojin's hunting knife.  
Where the woman had hid it until now, Woojin had no idea, but he assumed, it had been strapped to her back or something similar.  
There was no way he would have overlooked it, if it had hung at her belt.

But now, that Zillah was holding this weapon in her hands, she suddenly looked anything but vulnerable and nice but rather dangerous.  
And the heated glint in her dark eyes didn't lessen Woojin's uprising fear in the least.

But despite being scared, another puzzle piece found it's way to the picture within Woojin's head.

“So it was you!”

The words were out before he could stop himself and six heads turned towards him immediately.  
Deciding that he had already wasted his chance of staying out of the spotlight, Woojin stepped forward beside a horrified looking Chan, whose dark eyes were very insistently telling him to shut up and back off. 

Woojin ignored it.

“It was you, who almost killed Chan, wasn't it?”, he asked calmly, suppressing all emotion within his voice to not show any weakness.  
Not like he was sure of what to feel at the moment. He still hadn't deciphered the good and the bad side in this fight.

Zillah didn't even try to deny it.

“Yes!”, she nodded.  
“I wanted to revenge my mate that he killed!” 

Her knife lowered a bit, as she chuckled humorlessly. 

“And now, I came to finish the job!”

“Yeah, well, you do realize, that it's six against one, right?”

Apparently, Minho had picked his side, because the alpha stood proud beside Hyunjin and Jisung, his gaze not wavering, as Zillah focused on him. 

“We will protect them as much as they will protect themselves!”

Gratitude and relief washed through Woojin at the sight of his best friend. No matter what, he could always rely on Minho, even if the world around them would crash.

But despite the alpha's true words, Zillah only grinned, sadness long gone and a deep satisfaction evident on her expression.

“You might be right!”, she admitted towards Minho.  
“There's only one problem with your plan!” 

She pointed the tip of her knife at Chan. 

“He won't let you!”

When Woojin looked at Chan, he saw grim determination on the blond's face.  
He didn't know, why, but Zillah seemed to be right. Chan wouldn't let them help him.  
In fact, Woojin was sure, that the leader would do anything in his capability to hinder them from even stepping closer to Zillah. 

Not that Woojin would have tried. The weapon within the woman's hand was very persuading to get him to stay in his place.

“Keep them out of this, this is between you and me!”, Chan now growled, his arms extending to shield Woojin and push him back a bit. 

Woojin's inner wolf started thrashing inside his rib-cage, not pleased at the thought of not standing in the front anymore, but Woojin willed himself to calm down.  
As long as he still could, he would contain his inner wolf and handle this whole thing rationally!

Letting out a hollow laugh, Zillah shook her head. 

“Oh no, Chan this was never just between you and me!”, she objected, teeth bared slightly.  
“It started not being between you and me, when you killed Keir to save your friend!”

“It was self defense!”, Chan yelled back, the woman's comment obviously riling him up again.  
“Keir would have killed Jisung!”

A deep growl could be heard, which Woojin wasn't sure whether it came from Changbin or from Minho, but Zillah payed it no mind as she continued.

“No Chan, it would have been self defense, if Jisung would have killed him!”, she snarled.  
“You had no role to play in this!”

“Oh, so you wanted me to just stand by and watch?”, Chan asked in disbelief.

Zillah shrugged. 

“The world has never been fair!”, she retorted dryly.  
“Some are stronger and others are weak! That's the natural order!”

She seethed. 

“It's not like anyone ever helped me!”

Clenching his jaw, Chan looked ready to pounce the woman, but Woojin prayed that he wouldn't. Although he felt like doing it himself.  
Was she seriously trying to tell them, that her mate had been in the right to kill people, just because he had been stronger?

“The world was created equal, before some people decided, that they were better!”, Chan snapped back. 

Zillah snorted.

“So how do you justify hunting then?”, she asked with a laugh.  
“Aren't you putting your own life over that of those animals?”

“Are you seriously comparing Jisung - the boy who was partly part of your pack back then - to prey?”, Chan heaved out.  
By now, the blonds shoulders were so tense, that Woojin feared for the leader's back to snap.

Zillah suddenly gave a loud howl of anger, startling everyone present, including Woojin. 

“I'm not stating anything!” she yelled.  
“I don't care what you think or try to tell yourself, that you are in the right!” 

She smiled viciously. 

“I'm just really glad, that you didn't die back then!”

Now Woojin couldn't help but frown.  
Why would she be glad for Chan's survival? Didn't she come here to kill him anyways?

Chan seemed to be confused as well, the blond loosing a bit of his attentive posture, but nonetheless, the leader didn't comment anything, silently waiting for the woman's next move.  
Playing with the knife in her hand, Zillah smiled again. 

“You know, back then, I was so filled with hatred, that I couldn't think properly!”, she explained almost innocently.  
“All I wanted was to see you dead, to make you pay for your crime! But after I sliced you open and saw you flinch in pain, as my blade tore your skin, I suddenly realized, that I wanted you to feel as much pain, as I did!” 

She lowered her weapon and growled. 

“And therefore, killing you would be way too easy!”

Her detailed description, of how she had hurt Chan that first time two months back made Woojin sick and his inner wolf growl in protective aggression.  
Apparently, Woojin's instincts had long made his decision, which side he was on. 

It would have surprised him, if it had been different though. The warmth in his chest at every single one of Chan's smiles had been indicators enough.

Throwing her braid back over her shoulder, Zillah suddenly straightened her back, the movement alerting Woojin again. 

“You made me loose my love!” she pointed her knife at Chan's chest again.  
“Now I'll make you loose yours!” 

And with those words, she dashed forward so quickly, towards their group, that her form was a mere shadow attacking them.

The next few actions happened so fast, that they almost blurred together in Woojin's eyes.  
He was unable to move a muscle, even his inner wolf not catching up in time. 

All he heard, was Minho's deep growl, Chan's cry and a sharp gasp. 

And all he saw, was a mix of red, black and the silver shine of a blade.  
_________

Minho wasn't entirely sure, whether his spinning head had understood everything, that was going on, but he had enough. 

Who did this woman without scent think she was, simply showing up here and trying to kill Chan twice? 

If it was true, what she had said, then Chan had killed her mate and was therefore not innocent either, but simply stabbing the blond and calling it quits was certainly not the right way to deal with this problem.

So when the woman started to threaten Chan, Minho couldn't control his inner wolf any longer.  
Chan had protected him by stepping in front of him, so he was ready to do the same thing.

He saw the woman's attack coming, even before it actually happened, so he jumped forward with a low growl, his wolf practically taking over his actions at this point.  
Fear had long left him, wrestled away by raging fury. 

But just when he wanted to shield Chan, a harsh pull on his clothes stopped him abruptly.  
The motion hindered him and made him stumble backwards again, as he lost control over his balance for a moment while a low growl left his lips involuntarily. 

He heard Chan cry out and someone gasping in pain and when he looked up, there was blood on the ground and on the knife the woman was still holding.  
But it wasn't Chan's blood...

– or his own. 

“Jisung!” 

Hyunjin's shout was filled with shock and despair, as the tall alpha fell to his knees beside a slumped down Jisung, the omega's hands pressing against the deep cut on his abdomen, where blood was gushing out between his fingertips.  
The boy's brown eyes were still widened in shock and no sound left his pale lips, as he simply fell backwards, right into Changbin's outstretched arms.

That was when Minho's inner wolf snapped. 

Hot liquid rushed through his entire body, while ice cold hatred coiled in the pit of his stomach.  
Together, the two emotions mixed up into a deadly tornado of destructive aggression.

Someone had injured his friend, had touched his pack!  
They would pay! 

Growling deeply within his throat, he looked up again, his vision getting covered with a weird red haze, as a raging howl left his lips.  
The enormous force inside tried to burst out of him, readying him to bolt forward and destroy, what had layed a hand on his family!

But before he could actually attack the woman who was still standing opposite them, only a few steps away, Chan leaped forward, expression twisted with pain and fury.  
He looked exactly how Minho felt.

“What did you do!”, he screeched violently, and Minho wasn't sure, if the leader wouldn't actually have killed Zillah right then, if it hadn't been for Woojin, who grabbed the blond just in time to pull him back.  
Thrashing in the alpha's hold, Chan tried to free himself, screaming and crying out, desperately trying to get back at the woman. 

But Woojin didn't let go, holding him, until the boy calmed down a bit.  
Nonetheless, Chan's chest was still heaving, his breath uneven and labored. 

The leader's outbreak brought Minho back to his senses and he managed to get his fighting wolf back under control, although his blood was still boiling hot under his skin. 

“Good to know, that you would kill me, too, just like that!” 

Zillah's voice actually sounded sad at first but then disgust laced into her tone, making her words appear even sharper. 

“You are a monster, Chan!”, she spat out.  
“And you have nothing to blame it on! No inner wolf, that forces you to protect! No, this is just you!” 

She snorted dryly. 

“You are not an alpha, Chan! So stop pretending to be one! Accept that you are as much of a mistake of nature, as I was!”

Minho didn't understand, what the woman meant with those words, but he chose to ignore it for now. If they were able to escape this hell unharmed, he would ask Chan directly.  
For now, he had to make sure, that the rest of his pack stayed save! 

Behind him, he could hear the hushed whispers of Changbin and Hyunjin, who were probably trying to help Jisung, but what unnerved him much more, was the lack of noise from the omega himself. 

Jisung was never quiet!  
He never shut up, unless he was overthinking something and currently, Minho doubted that that was the case. So not hearing a single word from him, not even a gasp or a whine, was terrifying to Minho and let his boiling blood run cold in fear. 

Jisung had to be okay!  
There was no way, the vivacious, loud, stupid, annoying, cute, admirable boy he had come to know, was not okay!

Chan, still within Woojin's arms, had stopped thrashing in the older's hold and simply stared at Zillah with pain clouding his dark eyes.

“It was never his fault!”, he cried out hoarsely, one hand clawing at Woojin's arm as if holding onto the alpha was the only thing that still kept him alive.  
“He was pulled into this without ever having done anything to you or Keir! And now you just go and try to kill him? Why not me?”

Chan tried to scramble free again, only to give it up right after. His posture slumped back against Woojin's chest, but his tone only grew on fury.

“Why not fucking me?”

The woman stared back at him, suddenly looking very tired and exhausted, as if all life within her was slowly vanishing. 

“He was the one you killed Keir for!”, she answered silently, voice void of emotion.  
“So I killed him to make sure, you will go through the exact same pain, I had to endure for the past year!”

Minho wanted to whip his head around at her words, to check whether Jisung was still breathing, but his inner wolf forbid him to do so.  
He had to protect his whole pack after all and right now, the biggest threat was still Zillah.

And besides, Changbin would have cried out, if they had lost Jisung, right? 

“So now, that you have taken your revenge, do you really think, your pain will just disappear”, Chan asked in disbelief.  
“Wake up, Zillah! I might be a monster, but so was he! He didn't deserve you!”

Getting back a bit of her ferocity, Zillah snorted, her eyes burning up again.

“He never hurt me or treated me bad!”, she snapped at Chan, knife pointing in his direction again. 

Minho had to work hard to not gag, when he saw red splatters on the blade. He suddenly felt very sick, his stomach churning uncomfortably but he only swallowed heavily, stepping forward to stand right beside Woojin and Chan. 

His friend threw him a short glance, and although the older's expression mimicked a total poker face, Minho could tell the relief, that was radiating off of the other alpha.

Tears started forming in Zillah's eyes and a sob escaped the woman's lips, as she stared at Chan brokenly.

“You may have all your other friends, even if I took Jisung from you!”, she whispered, and by now, Minho felt ready to scream at her to stop pretending, Jisung had already died.  
He didn't though.

“But I had no one but him, Chan! He was the first and the last one to fully accept me instead of looking down on me! He never told me what to do or to shut up, never made me feel like I wasn't worth it!” 

Her legs seemed to give in beneath her, because she fell forward onto her knees, the hand holding the knife falling into her lap.  
“He gave me a reason to live!”

“What about your pack?”, Chan yelled back, tugging at his restrains again, that were Woojin's arms.  
“What about Younghyun and Jimin? They were your friends as well! They accepted you, like I did!”

Zillah only shook her head. 

“They tolerated me!”, she snarled back, pained expression back on her face.  
“But none of them understood, how I felt after Keir's death! How I still feel!”

Looking down at her knife with a sad smile, her hand shaking, she laughed breathily. 

“And now, that I have finally showed you, what it feels like, I can let all of that go!” 

She looked back at Chan. 

“Trust me, Channie,”, she mumbled, her dark eyes glazing over a bit, giving her a crazy appearance somehow.  
“You will think, death is better than living on, having to deal with the same pain over and over again, whenever you wake up and realize, that he's not there anymore!” 

She chuckled numbly. 

“But you will live on. Because if you'd die, you would hurt the rest of your friends!” 

With every word passing her lips, she got louder.

“But i have no one like that, i can go! So enjoy your own living hell!” 

Her last few words were screamed, as she quickly lifted her knife up, turned it towards herself and thrust it into her own body with force, the whole blade disappearing within the spot right below her ribs. 

Minho could hear Chan's shocked cry and a horrified yelp from somewhere behind him, but he himself felt nothing. 

This woman obviously had been filled with nothing but pain and hatred. He didn't think there was something left for her in this world and frankly, he wasn't too sad about her death either. It was more like a huge weight falling off his shoulders, as cruel as that sounded.  
Finally, his inner wolf could relax a little.

Zillah gave one last gurgling cough, her brown eyes widening in pain, then they twisted around and the woman fell forward, her own bloodied hands lifelessly falling onto the wet foliage beneath her. 

She was dead. 

Minho didn't have to check to know.  
He could smell it.  
Death had a very certain, very disturbing kind of smell and although the stench of blood was hanging in the air, he could detect it very clearly.  
His mother had smelled the same.

He just hoped, Jisung wouldn't smell like it, too.

Chan apparently had the same thought, because the blond finally freed himself of Woojin's iron grip and stumbled over to where Hyunjin and Changbin were still holding Jisung's motionless body, the tall alpha pressing something that looked like his hoodie, against the omega's wound. 

“Sungie! Sungie wake up!” 

Chan's voice was frantic and filled with fear, making Minho's heart start pounding within his chest equally anxious, as he followed the blond to the small group.  
Crouching down beside them as well, he shortly examined the many scars, that covered Hyunjin's now bare arms, but he discarded the thought of asking about them immediately, as his eyes fell on Jisung. 

Cheeks wet from tears, the omega's hand was clawing at Changbin's arm, his knuckles just as white as his face.  
His eyes were closed, but when Minho took a closer look, he couldn't suppress a relieved sigh at the slight rising and falling of the boy's chest.  
At least, he was still alive! For now!

“All questions are saved for later, we have to get him home to Seungmin!”

Woojin's determined voice silenced any other sounds around them.  
Going over to giving instructions to everyone, Woojin let his calm gaze wander over all of them. 

“Chan, you carry him! Minho and Changbin will help you! Hyunjin, you are the fastest of us so run home first and tell Seungmin about this! He needs to prepare! I will follow you shortly, I'll just take care of the deer Minho and me caught before. If Jisung is injured, he will need the food and so do we!”

It felt really reassuring to have someone tell him what to do, so Minho simply nodded, reaching out to take the bloodied shirt out of Hyunjin's hands.  
The tall alpha threw him a quick look, filled with fear, before he jumped up and bolted away into the direction of the apartment-tower, his form disappearing between the tree-trunks within seconds. 

Chan wordlessly wrapped his arms around Jisung's frail-looking body, hosting him up from Changbin's lap, before he turned to Minho, Woojin already having went to take care of their prey. 

“Which way?”, the blond asked, his voice hoarse, and his dark eyes begging Minho to answer.  
It reminded the alpha of how bad of a sense of direction the blond had and he pointed a certain way, that would lead them home.

Immediately complying, Chan started heading back, Changbin right beside him and Jisung's lifeless body within his arms as if the boy weighed nothing.  
Hurrying after them, Minho started pressing the black cloth within his hands back onto Jisung's wounded stomach, his eyes purposely avoiding to look at the injury. 

He didn't want to know, how bad it was! He just wanted to believe, that the omega would be fine!

No one threw another glance towards the dead body lying in the sidelines.  
__________

Seungmin had been trying to read the second chapter of his book for the entire past hour now, but apparently, Felix and Jeongin had made it their personal duty today to annoy the shit out of him, or so he felt, because the two boys just wouldn't shut up and leave him alone. 

And by now, Seungmin was fucking raging!

“Would you two imbeciles care to go and be stupid somewhere, that is far away from me!”, he finally snapped, as another flying chestnut hit the back of his head. 

One wouldn't assume it because of their size, but those nasty little things actually hurt upon impact with ones skull!

Nothing could be heard as a reply, save for Felix muffled giggles, and Seungmin groaned in exasperation. He loved his two friends very dearly, but there were day's when he seriously considered dumping their asses somewhere outside this building!  
Today was one of them.

Trying to focus back on his story, the healer buried his nose within his book again, but he didn't even manage to read one single sentence, before Jeongin interrupted him once more.

“Minnie, come on, play with us!”, the young alpha whined, making Seungmin tighten his grip on his book's cover. 

_'No murder, Seungmin!' _, he told himself inwardly.  
__

___'We do not kill people! Killing people is bad!'_ _ _

____

Deeming it best, to just ignore his friends, he kept his back turned towards Felix and Jeongin, trying to drown out their constant whispers. 

____

In front of him, the campfire was still burning lowly, since Felix always had a sharp eye on the flames, keeping them alive at all times.  
It was something, the freckled alpha did with a certain passion, ever since Woojin had forced him to start a new fire once, when the orange-head had let the old flames die.  
Hours had passed, until Felix had been able to create a new spark and apparently, that memory stayed unforgotten within the alpha's mind.

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“Seungmin!”

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No! Nope! Definitely not! Seungmin was just about to find his flow in reading again and he would not let anyone...

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“Seungmin!”

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“Oh for fucks sake, what is it with you people, that you can't just let me-” 

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Seungmin's words died on his tongue as soon as his heated gaze fell on a panting Hyunjin in front of him.

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“What the fuck happened to you?”, Seungmin breathed out, examining the alpha's appearance.

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The boy's dark hair was sticking to his forehead, drenched in sweat, just like his gray shirt, that was the only thing left covering Hyunjin's upper body, his sweater gone.  
His arms were covered in old scars, something Seungmin saw for the first time today, and his eyes were widened in fear. 

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Scent so sharp, that Seungmin had to inhale through his mouth to keep his inner wolf sane, Hyunjin parted his bloody lips, the normally soft red flesh now carrying obvious marks from the alpha's teeth, and coughed lightly, hands going to his thighs as he leaned forward to support himself a bit as he calmed his breath down.

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“Jisung's hurt!”, he finally choked out, making Felix gasp in the background.  
“He needs your help!”

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Snorting to hide his own shock, Seungmin placed his book on the floor and rose to his feet.

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“Which tree did he fall from this time?”, he asked dryly, but Hyunjin's disturbed look was all he needed to quickly shut up again.  
Apparently, this was more serious!

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“How bad is it?”, he asked instead as he went and grabbed one of their new towels to throw it at Hyunjin.  
The alpha shook his head, as he caught the cloth.

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“I'm not sure!”, he answered, voice wavering a little.  
“She hit his stomach pretty hard with her knife!”

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Whipping his head around, Seungmin stared at the alpha. 

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“I believe, 'stabbing' is the correct word you were meaning to use!”, he snapped in shock, before his voice got more high-pitched.  
“And why in the name of the heavens is it your pack's hobby to keep getting their stomachs torn open?”

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Hyunjin didn't answer, but it wasn't like Seungmin had expected him to. He assumed, his brother had sent the alpha to inform him about the arriving patient, that was Jisung, and now, they needed to act fast, since he didn't know, how bad the omega's injury actually was.

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His mind was swirling with questions, but he pushed them back down to focus on the more important matters first.

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“Quick, Jeongin, get me fresh water from the stream!”, he hissed at his best friend, the younger only nodding with widened eyes and bolting out of the room.  
Turning to Felix, Seungmin pointed behind him.

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“Help me set up a place, where they can put Jisung down on, not too far away from the fire!”, he ordered the orange-haired alpha, the boy complying immediately and starting to search for proper sheets to use.

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Seungmin hoped to god that he wouldn't have to burn out another wound, but unfortunately the probability of it wasn't completely zero. On top of that, he would have to check, whether he still had a needle and a thread within the first-aid kit they were currently using or if he would have to open up another one.

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Wanting to turn around and head into his medical room, a hand suddenly grabbed Seungmin's arm and hindered him.  
Looking up, the omega stared right into Hyunjin's fearful face.

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“Please, I know, I'm putting a lot of pressure on you,”, the tall alpha muttered, his lower lip quivering slightly and his eyes deep oceans filled with fear and pain. “but Jisung doesn't deserve to die! So please help him!”

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Seungmin felt his heart jump at Hyunjin's words.  
The alpha had shown once again, that he had seen him – Seungmin – instead of just himself and his pack-mate. Had considered, that such an operation was a lot to take in, despite Seungmin wanting to help his friends. 

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It was such a small gesture and yet, it meant the world to Seungmin.  
If he hadn't wanted to help Jisung for the omega's own sake, then he would have done it for Hyunjin now.

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“Don't worry!”, he therefore gave back bluntly, pushing his confused feelings away into the back of his head, only leaving the warmth within his chest, that had filled him at the alpha's gesture.  
“I have a lot of questions to ask you and I feel like you won't answer me them, if I don't save Jisung!”

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Smiling softly, Hyunjin nodded. 

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“Thanks!”, he whispered, finally letting go of Seungmin. 

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Glancing at the alpha one last time, Seungmin hurried off to the medical room to get all needed supplies for whatever was about to get presented to him.  
The old door creaked in protest, as he pulled it open, slipping into the dark room.  
Quickly scanning through his neatly ordered tools that were barely visible under the lack of light, Seungmin grabbed the old first-aid-kit he had used before and a few smaller sheets he had saved and cleaned for possible operations, before he exited the room again, heading over to the place Felix had set up already, about two meters away from the fire.

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Kneeling down, the omega clicked the kit open to check the length of the thread within it, letting out a pleased sound when he found enough for any possible kind of wound.  
If Jisung wasn't half dead already, it should be fine!

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As if on cue, rushing steps and muffled pants got louder from outside, making Seungmin look up towards the entrance.  
Only seconds later, Chan bolted into the room, an unconscious Jisung in his arms and Minho and Changbin right at his heels. 

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The blond leader looked more distraught than when he himself had been on the brink of death, and when the intense smell of blood invaded the room, making Seungmin's nostrils flare, realization seemed to finally hit him. 

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He wasn't sure, why he only came to his senses now, maybe, because he hadn't really allowed himself to overthink it before, but Jisung was injured! Seriously injured!  
Wounded in a way, that could kill the omega, if Seungmin didn't manage to help him.

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Taking in a sharp breath, Seungmin closed his eyes for a second to collect himself, before he snapped them back open, waving at Chan.

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“Over here, put him down beside me!”, he ordered firmly, the blond complying immediately and rushing over to him.  
As he lowered Jisung's limp body down onto the prepared sheets, Seungmin bit his lower lip at the sight of the omega's wound. 

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Crimson blood was gushing out of the obviously deep cut at the right lower half of his abdomen – almost the same place, Chan's wound had been in - where the boy's clothes and skin had been torn.  
It looked very bad, and Seungmin hoped to god, that Jisung's intestines were unharmed. Although the chances weren't very high.  
But at least, the healer realized in relief, the cut was clean and straight which was gonna make it easier to stitch it back together.

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“Minnie, please tell me he won't die!” Chan whispered, gaze set on Seungmin, as the omega looked up.  
The leader's voice sounded very vulnerable and helpless, his black eyes finally void of any barriers he had to keep up anymore and Seungmin felt his own stomach constrict in sympathy. 

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Jisung was probably like a little brother to Chan, just like he was to Woojin.  
No wonder, the blond worried more about the vivacious boy than himself!

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“I won't tell anything, until I haven't tried everything in my power to prevent that from happening!”, Seungmin therefore snapped.  
He didn't mean to sound so harsh, but given the momentary situation, he really didn't have the time to bother with things like politeness and formalities. 

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Besides, his own nerves were running dangerously thin!

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Finally scooting to Jisung's side, Seungmin carefully pulled the omega's blood-soaked sweater up and opened the boy's pants, pushing them down a bit. Normally, he would have been appalled to do that, since Jisung and him hadn't been very close, but since this was a literal life-or-death-question, he doubted, that Jisung would mind.

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“Will you have to burn his wound out, too?”

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Seungmin almost jumped at Minho's voice, the alpha suddenly having materialized beside him, but he swallowed his curse and only shook his head lightly.

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“I don't know!”, he answered calmly, although inside, he felt his stomach flutter with nervousness.  
“I will have to clean the wound first. There's not much to see with all this blood on it!”

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“Already here!”, Jeongin's voice commented in that moment, the young alpha carrying over the bucket filled with water, along with Changbin, who was helping him with the weight.  
As soon as they placed the water next to Seungmin, he soaked one of his towels with the liquid and started patting around Jisung's wound. 

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It only took him seconds, before the cloth was just as deeply red as the cut itself, more and more blood gushing out of the injury, the more Seungmin tried to clean it.  
He cursed inwardly, while his guts started twisting. 

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This would be a lot more complicated that he would like for it to be.  
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Jisung had been prepared for the hit. 

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He had been prepared to jump forward and had been aware, that Zillah was, too.  
He also had been prepared for pain. 

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What he hadn't been prepared for, was that much pain. 

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He felt like he had been torn open and ripped apart, felt as if his insides had been rearranged and shredded to tiny bits.  
Black dots had danced in front of his eyes, before his entire vision had faded away, leaving him blind.  
He had wanted to scream, wanted to cry, the pain being to unbelievably terrible within his stomach, but there had been no air left within his lungs and so he had mutely felt himself slip off into darkness.

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His last thoughts went to Chan, asking himself, how the hell the other had survived this much pain without dying, and to Minho, hoping the alpha wouldn't be too pissed with the outcome of this whole scenario.  
Then, his legs had given in beneath him.

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He had heard panicked voices, screams, had experienced how he got shaken and tossed, every movement making him want to curl up and weep from the raw agony, but it was as if his body had gotten disconnected from his mind, not a single muscle of his reacting to his commands.

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At some point, he drifted off, bright and red lights flickering within his mind in wild mayhem, making his head ache.  
From somewhere within his body, stinging waves of pain were radiating through his entire being, shaking him to the core and letting him forget, which was up and which was down.

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Finally, his vision started to clear, the dancing lights disappearing a bit, but he wasn't granted the time to feel relieved, because the pictures starting to cloud his mind were nothing to feel better about. 

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Jisung felt Keir's hands on his body again, felt his rough breath against his ear and throat and the disgusting fingers pressing into his skin, leaving bruises and marks that made sure, that Jisung would never forget this. 

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He wanted to breathe, but a sweaty palm was blocking his mouth and nose, making him choke on every try to inhale and let him gag from the smell of salt and lust, that still somehow managed to invade his nose.

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Desperately, Jisung tried to fight back, to shove this enormous weight, that was resting on his chest, off of him, but he couldn't move his arms, each of his wrists trapped in an painful iron grip.

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A scream erupted within Jisung's chest and suddenly, he was free again, scrambling to his knees in panic, only to look right into Zillah's darkened eyes, filled with seething hatred.

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“Die!”, she screeched, bolting towards him, outstretched hand holding her long knife, but when Jisung braced himself for the pain to come, suddenly Chan materialized in from of him, shielding him from the attack.  
With horror clawing at his heart, Jisung watched his older friend fall down, the blond's hair, skin and clothes suddenly drenched in red and his black eyes lifelessly staring upwards.

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“Chan! No!” Jisung heard himself scream, falling to his knees beside his friend, but when he leaned over his leader, it suddenly was Nesrin's pained grimace, that stared up at him, equally as dead as Chan had been.  
Jisung couldn't take it anymore.

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His eyes shot open to nothing with a deep gasp escaping his lungs. He felt like drowning, desperately fighting for air. 

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Had the pain numbed a bit over the last few minutes, it now was back with full force, almost knocking him right out again with how intense it hurt.  
Pure agony seemed to devour Jisung's whole being, and he couldn't help the burning tears starting to blur his vision. 

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He didn't want this anymore! If this was what it meant for him to live on, then he was fine dying!

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Again, he felt something holding him down and he screamed, thrashing within the grip, although every movement increased his pain. 

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Suddenly, a voice reached his ears, a voice he trusted.  
One of the only voices he trusted.

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Forcing his own mouth to respond, Jisung cried out.

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“Channie!” 

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A sob rocked his body. 

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“Channie, tell me it's over! Tell me it's finally over!”

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Chan did respond, but Jisung couldn't understand the words being said. A loud static sound had invaded his hearing, hurting his head and making it pound, along with the injury at his stomach. 

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He was so sick of this! Why couldn't it finally stop, let him live in peace?

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Another strong wave of pain rolled over him, ripping his breath away from his lips once more and making him cry out.  
Again, a picture of Zillah flashed past his inner eye and fear and hate started playing tag within his heaving chest.

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“I want it to stop hurting! I want her to be gone!” 

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Jisung really wanted to stop crying, for every sob made his stomach clench in agony, but somehow he couldn't.  
It felt, as if a dam had been broken, the water now washing over him without mercy and without showing any sign of stopping. 

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“I don't want anyone else to die!”, he wailed out. 

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All of his friends - were they save? Was Zillah gone? Had someone already died while his lights had been out? How much time had passed?

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Faster and faster, Jisung's thoughts started to spin, making him feel sick.  
The static sound within his ears got louder and louder with every second and the omega felt ready to go mad. He wanted to press his hands onto his ears, wanted to block that terrifying sound out, but again, his body didn't listen.

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And then, careful and soft, something cut through the fog clouding his mind, just like that.  
A gentle tone, old and familiar and linked with a feeling of undeniable safety. 

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Finally, the noise died down, finally Zillah and Keir disappeared out of Jisung's head and finally, the pain subsided enough to let him breathe again.  
Finally, he could relax, his mind filling with long forgotten memories, that warmed him inside and made his lips curl upwards, before he drifted back into darkness again.  
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Seungmin let out a stressed sigh. 

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Minho's wound had been easier to treat, because it hadn't been so deep and with Chan, Seungmin hadn't had any personal connection back then, making it simple for him to think rationally.

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But now, he really didn't want Jisung to die, or to hurt and although, his ambition was much stronger than before, his brain seemed to have locked him out from every possible knowledge about the human body and how to repair it. 

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Seungmin had read a lot in his life.  
Heavens, he had studied so many pictures, so many texts and even videos on rare occasions, that he knew exactly, where each organ was and how they could possibly get damaged.  
But somehow...he just coudn't remember. 

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Why didn't he remember?  
This was important! The longer he waited, the higher was the possibility, that Jisung would bleed to death. Or that he would die of organ-malfunction. Or a circulatory collapse. 

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Why was Jisung not conscious anyways? Shouldn't he be conscious?  
Maybe the shock and the pain had caused his brain to simply shut down because of over-stimulation?

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Seungmin felt his hands start to shake, as he kept on cleaning at the wound.  
He couldn't see shit through all this blood and therefore, he was in no position to say, whether Jisung's organs had been hit or not. 

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If the boy's intestines were damaged, splutters could cause the injury to get infected within a few hours, if not cleaned properly.  
And given his supplies, Seungmin had no idea how to thoroughly clean a serious wound. 

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With Minho and Chan it had been easier because the burning killed off every possible kind of bacteria.  
Sure, Seungmin could try to burn out Jisung's cut, too, but before he hadn't found out, whether any organs had been hit, it was way too dangerous!

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Seungmin's mind was running wild. 

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A part of him knew, that he couldn't afford to panic right now.  
He was the only one with proper brain cells, for heavens sake! They needed him! 

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But his body didn't seem to listen, as his hands only started to shake harder.  
By now, Seugmin felt barely able to keep his grasp on the cloth anymore, with which he was trying to clean Jisung.

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Helpless! He was completely helpless and useless – again!

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“Minnie, you're not alone in this!” 

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Jeongin's soothing voice and the reassuring arm around his shoulders reached Seungmin in the dark place he was beginning to slip into and he blinked a few times to clear his vision, that was blurred from unshed tears.  
Glancing at his best friend, Seungmin was welcomed by the alpha's blinding smile. 

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“We're all here and just because you hold all the knowledge, doesn't mean, all the responsibility is on your back! It just means, that you actually can try to help Jisung, while we have to stand by helplessly. But you are not alone!”

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Jeongin's words somehow dispelled the fog made of thoughts within Seungmin's mind and the healer felt himself being able to focus again.  
Nodding at his friend gratefully, he turned back towards Jisung, who had begun to sweat, his brown bangs drenched and now sticking to his head. 

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Hoping, the omega's body wasn't already collapsing due to all the stress presented to it, Seungmin looked at Chan, who was still seated opposite him.

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“Take this towel,”, he threw a clean cloth from his stock at the older. “wet it and keep Jisung's head cool. I can't afford him hyperventilating now!”

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Then he turned towards a lost looking Minho behind him. 

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“You take Chan's spot at Jisung's other side and clean his wound, while I make sure, how deep the cut is!”, he ordered. 

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Minho immediately kneeled down in front of him, right in the spot, that Chan had been sitting in before.  
The blond had already scooted up higher, now crouching next to Jisung's head, the towel in his hand.

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When Minho grabbed the bloodied cloth out of his grasp, Seungmin was able to take a quivering inhale, his lungs filling with fresh oxygen.  
Dunking his hands into the water-bucket Seungmin cleaned them as much as possible, before he pulled them back out and gently grabbed Jisung's skin at the boy's abdomen. 

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Carefully, as to not rip the cut open even wider, he pulled both sides of the wound apart to reach inside and push up a bit, sighing in relief, when he was able to feel what he assumed, were the intact inner walls of the boy's stomach. 

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It felt gross and Seungmin had to swallow hard to not gag, but nonetheless, he felt lighter, as he let go of the omega's skin again.  
At least, now he was able to stitch it back together without having to worry about any inner injuries.  
That meant, there shouldn't be any infectious splutters either!

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For a moment, Seungmin considered burning out the wound nonetheless, since it would reduce the chance of any inflammations, but he quickly discarded the thought again.  
It would take too long and since Jisung panicked at being held down, Seungmin doubted, it would be the best plan to go with.  
Besides, the bleeding had gone back a little, ever since he had left Minho with the task to clean up the wound.

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Washing his now red hands again, Seungmin reached for his needle and thread, preparing both within seconds before he focused back on Jisung.

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But right when he had ushered Minho and his towel aside, ready to start sewing, Jisung suddenly flung his brown eyes wide open with a gasp, his whole body convulsing, as if the silent mutters, Chan had bestowed him with over the past minutes, had woken him up from his unconscious slumber.

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“Channie!”, the omega cried out, new tears spilling over his face, as his hands started flailing around as if to fight something off.  
“Channie, tell me it's over! Tell me it's finally over!”

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The omega's voice got higher pitched with every word, until the boy was practically screeching. Heavy sobs rocked his body, each one putting pressure on the omega's stomach and abdomen, that made Seungmin clench his teeth in fear. 

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Jisung had to calm down immediately!

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“Shh, Sungie, it's okay, I'm here!”, Chan immediately tried to sooth his friend, carding his hand through the omega's damp bangs.  
“See, you're totally save. No one will dare to hurt you anymore!”

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But Jisung didn't seem reassured in the least, the omega continuing to thrash around.

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“I want it to stop!”, he cried, eyes seemingly staring into nothing.  
“I want it to stop hurting! I want her to be gone!” 

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He wailed in pain and distress. 

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“I don't want anyone else to die!”

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Seungmin would have liked to hold Jisung down to keep him still, but a panicking patient was the absolute last thing he needed right now.  
Well, any more panicked than Jisung already was, at least!

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In that moment, a rough yet soft melody started growing from behind him, toning out every other noise within the room, as suddenly, Jisung went completely still, the omega's hands clawing at Chan's sweater.  
His brown eyes were wide open, pupils blown, as he listened to Changbin's singing in awe, before his eyelids fluttered shut, his quivering lip finally coming to a halt.

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“I missed singing!”, he whispered tonelessly, before his tense body finally relaxed. 

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Seungmin didn't wait for another opportunity but immediately began stitching the omega's wound, while Changbin's slightly trembling voice sung on from behind him, a song Seungmin didn't know.  
When Chan started singing along, his voice much clearer, the healer assumed, that it had been a ritual for the pack to sing together. 

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Just like it had been for him, Minho, Woojin and Jeongin. Although they hadn't done that in a while either.

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Hyunjin started humming along as well, while Seungmin took care of Jisung's injury, the omega's blood stopping to flow with every new stitch the healer made. 

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And finally, after what seemed like forever, he was able to lean back up from his bend-over position, a smile on his lips. 

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His back hurt like hell, just like his knees and he felt unimaginably drained for some reason, but at least, Jisung seemed fine.  
The omega had stopped his shaking and sweating, now lying on the sheets peacefully and with an even breath.

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“Is he okay”, came Changbin's small voice from behind, the boy having ended their song along with his two friends who were now equally quiet.

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Seungmin let himself fall back onto his butt and once again dipped his hands into the bucket beside him, which by now was filled with slightly reddened water. Drying them with his last clean towel, he shrugged.

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“Given the circumstances, I'd say so for now, yes!”

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A collective sigh of relief could be heard from all boys present to equal parts.

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“Man, why does this idiot keep getting into situation's like this one? I'm seriously getting tired of it”, Seungmin could hear Minho huff, but by the slight tremble within the alpha's voice he could tell, how worried the boy actually had been.  
After all, him and Jisung had gotten pretty close over the last weeks, even if it wasn't entirely obvious, but Seungmin wasn't stupid. He could see the building trust between the two, even if they themselves weren't aware of it yet.

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“Sorry I'm late!”

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Woojin's calm voice echoed through the hall and made Seungmin look up happily. He had kind of missed his brother's presence during the operation, even if Jeongin had helped him just fine.  
But having someone older to rely on was something different. 

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Woojin walked over to them, crouching down beside Seungmin, after he had patted Changbin on the shoulder slightly as if to reassure him.  
Like Chan normally did with his friends.

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As soon, as Seungmin felt his older brother's fingers card through the hair at his nape, he deflated completely.  
Now, everything was okay! Jisung was save for now, no one else was injured and all of his friends were with him, here at their home. 

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Closing his eyes with a sigh, Seungmin leaned against Woojin and let the older play with his hair.  
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Chan felt like crying. 

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He hadn't cried in ages and didn't even remember the last time, but now, that this whole freak-show he had been living in, was finally over and his adrenaline wearing off, he felt very exhausted. 

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He hadn't slept in days, had lived through every horror-scenario his mind had possibly could have come up with, one of them actually coming true, but now, that he knew Jisung save, his before shaking body didn't feel capable of moving at all ever again.

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Nonetheless, there was one last thing he had to do and Woojin coming back reminded him of it again. So he carefully put the wet towel aside, that he was still holding, and scrambled to his feet.

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“I need to go bury her!”, he mumbled quietly into the silence that had spread around the whole group.  
The attention he drew towards himself with the words weighed heavy on his shoulders.

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Woojin looked up.  
The alpha's brown orbs seemed to burn themselves into Chan's own, and he couldn't help but avert his eyes.  
To say that he was afraid of the other pack's judgment would have been an understatement. 

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He was fucking terrified! 

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Maybe one of the reason's why he wanted to bury Zillah right now at this very moment. To hold onto the image of a family for just a little longer, before they would kick him out.  
He only hoped, they would allow Jisung, Changbin and Hyunjin to stay.  
These three were much safer here than outside with him.

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“Okay, I'll come and help you!”, Woojin finally answered, still in that calm tone. It somehow unnerved Chan way more than if the older had growled at him.  
That kind of reaction he would have understood at least. 

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Because if he was terrified of the other pack's judgement, then he was scared beyond reason of Woojin's.  
So much his legs started shaking under him.

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“You don't have to!”, he replied.  
If he was honest, he needed to be alone for a while, but Woojin shook his head. 

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“It's almost dark outside, Chan, and to dig a hole that big without any kind of help would take you hours!”

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'So be it!', Chan wanted to scream.  
'I deserve it anyways!'. 

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But he didn't, simply pressing his lips together and nodding, before he bowed down once more to place a soft kiss on Jisung's forehead.  
Hopefully, it wouldn't be the last one!

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While walking past Hyunjin and Changbin, he brushed his hand over their shoulders, both of them returning the gesture in silence.  
It was over! Their life as prey had ended today! Their predator was dead!

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Then Chan headed for the exit, walking down the stairs and pulling open the front door. 

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Woojin had been right.  
Dusk had already arrived, the sky above him a dirty shade of gray instead of it's usual bright colors.  
As if it was drained as well, just like Chan was.

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Inhaling the chilly air deeply, Chan started crossing the clearing again, until he realized, that he had no idea, where to go, the path, Minho had led him home over long forgotten.  
Behind him, soft steps got audible and he realized, that Woojin probably hadn't wanted for him to get lost, the real reason, why the oldest had offered to accompany Chan. 

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Which was fair, the blond knew, because otherwise, he probably would have neither found Zillah's body, nor the apartment-tower ever again.

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“This way!”, Woojin commented silently, as soon as he reached Chan, pointing in a certain direction at one part of the forest, that looked exactly like every other one to Chan, but he didn't say anything.  
Jisung had always been able to navigate through forests as well, while Chan had always bet, they had been running circles.  
In the end, Jisung had been right every time.

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Woojin led Chan through the forest in silence, the older not starting a conversation and Chan immersed in his own thoughts, until they finally reached the spot, where Zillah's slumped body still lay, not having moved an inch. 

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'Of course not', Chan thought.  
'Everything else would be hella creepy!'

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He wasn't sure of how to start with digging. Never before did he have to bury a body.  
Keir hadn't been worth it and for Nesrin, they didn't have enough time, immediately leaving the place as soon as Changbin and Hyunjin had found them.

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But Chan was determined to not let Zillah's body rot away here. They had been too close for that, even if the woman had hated him for the entire last year of her life.  
So he simply knelt down and started pushing the dirt aside. 

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It went easy at first, budging at the slightest touch, but as soon as his finger's hit real earth and not just loose foliage, it got harder. 

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Behind him, Chan heard Woojin rustle within a bush and he assumed, that the older was looking for some stick to use as a makeshift shovel or something similar.  
Pulling his sweater off and throwing it to the side, Chan didn't pay the alpha any mind and kept digging, his gaze purposefully avoiding the dark form of Zillah's body. 

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It didn't take long for Chan's fingers to get sore and bloody, nails breaking whenever he hit a stone within the ground, but he went on with clenched teeth.  
At some point, he stopped feeling anything within his hands beside the pain, his shoulders almost giving out, but he forbid himself to stop. 

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This was something he deserved.  
Like Zillah had said, he should live in pain. And this pain was nothing compared to hers. 

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Chan wasn't ignorant or stupid.  
He had known how important Keir had been to her. 

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Hell, Keir had even been important to him until he had found out, what the guy had been doing at night!  
The alpha had always been friendly towards him. Reserved but never impolite.  
It had shocked Chan greatly back then, to see him do such things. 

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Right before his rage had taken over. And had turned him into the very same.

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Chan wasn't sure, how much time had passed, but the forest around him was almost completely dark, when he finally scrambled to his feet again, lifting himself out of the hole him and Woojin had created. 

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It was deep enough to reach up to Chan's chest, when he stood within it and therefore, the blond deemed it save to dump Zillah's body in it without having to fear for animals digging it out again. 

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At least he hoped so.  
Maybe there was a very ambitious fox out there who would challenge his assumptions. Who knew!

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For now, Chan was too exhausted to think about it any further, so he simply walked over to Zillah's form with aching bones.  
Everything within him was repulsed by the thought of touching her corpse, but Chan ignored it, grabbing the woman's arms with his mud-caked hands and lifting her up a bit. 

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She was weirdly heavy, although Chan had been able to lift her just fine back then, when they had still been friends.  
It freaked him out, how lifeless her body felt as he hurriedly dragged her over to the hole.

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Once he reached it, Woojin came up from the other side, reaching for Zillah's legs and helping Chan to lower her into the grave.  
Neither of them dared to touch the knife still embedded in her upper stomach.

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When the body was finally in the right spot, at the bottom of the hole, Chan collected his last bits of energy and started pushing the dug up earth, that had been piling up beside it, back into the grave, slowly but carefully burying Zillah underneath it, until she wasn't visible anymore.  
Only then did Woojin start to help again, them both closing the hole, until there was nothing left but a brown and earthy area on the ground.

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Standing up straight on wobbly legs, Chan stared at it mutely. 

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There were many things he had wanted to tell Zillah back then, but now, none of them seemed to matter.  
He couldn't even really say, that he was sad about her death. It was more like his drained self wasn't capable of feeling anything anymore. He just wanted to go to sleep and wake up, once his world had righted itself. 

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When Zillah and Keir were still the strong happy leaders of their own pack.  
When Jisung wouldn't shrink away from touches and when they were still the rulers over their own little world.  
When Nesrin was still running along with them and Chan's hands were still clean, instead of bloody and dirtied with such heavy guilt.

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“Let's go back!” 

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Woojin's voice was still soft, and Chan had to bite down onto the inside of his cheek to not yell at the older. 

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Why was Woojin so calm? He had just found out, that Chan was a murderer! He had killed a person! How was that an information someone reacted to with total nonchalance?

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Swallowing down every possible comment, Chan nodded and picked up his discarded sweater to follow Woojin again, the older leading him back through the now dark forest. 

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Above them, the sky was still a little brighter, but between the trees, it was already as black as during the night, making Chan stumble a few times, when he missed a root or a small stone.  
Woojin didn't seem to have that kind of problem, because the alpha walked ahead confidently, his feet not once getting caught by something.

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Chan wanted to ask him, how he wasn't freaking out, when he was so scared of the dark, but he didn't dare to open his mouth.  
He didn't dare to break the silence.

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Not too much later, they stepped onto the dimly lit clearing in front of the apartment-tower again, and Chan felt his heart drop into his stomach.  
He didn't want to go back! 

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Or well, he did, because he wanted to know, how Jisung was doing, and hug Changbin, because he was sure, the short omega had acted big and tough these past few hours, probably watching over Jisung, while Chan had been gone, and of course, he also wanted to cuddle with Hyunjin. 

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Chan really wanted to be able to go back, but he feared, that he wouldn't be welcome anymore.  
He was scared shitless, that Woojin wouldn't let him return. 

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And more than anything, he was to very afraid, that Woojin wouldn't look at him anymore, like he had before. 

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Usually, Woojin had always had this soft and slightly admiring expression on his face whenever he had addressed Chan directly.  
That warm smile Chan had come to trust. He had hated it, for he hadn't deserved it, but at the same time, Chan had begun to love it so very dearly.

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But now, Woojin would probably look at him with disgust in his eyes, and Chan was not sure, if he would be able to take that kind of hit.  
Getting stabbed was nothing in comparison! 

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Although Chan would rather not do that a second time either.

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As Chan slowed his steps down, just to take longer to reach the building, Woojin suddenly stopped, calling out to him.

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“Chan, wait a minute! I need to talk to you!”

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Swallowing hard, Chan turned towards the alpha, his heart starting to beat so wildly, that he could literally feel it in his throat. He honestly didn't want to hear, what the older had to say, just wanted to curl up beside Jisung with Changbin and Hyunjin in his arms and sleep for a long time, until everyone had forgotten, what kind of abomination he was.  
Although he knew, that his friends deserved better than that.

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“What is it?”, he heard himself ask, his voice sounding weirdly emotionless.  
As if he himself was secluded from the rest of his body and only watched himself acting like everything was fine.  
It felt very disturbing. 

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Woojin took in a deep breath.

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“Chan, I don't fully know, what happened back then,”, he started, holding eye-contact with Chan.  
Normally, Chan would have loved that, but right now, it felt like torture.

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“and I will ask you to elaborate once we're back,”

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Oh good, that probably meant, that Woojin at least wouldn't chase him off into the forest right now!

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“but I wanted you to know something!”

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Chan nodded warily as to show the older that he was still listening.  
Looking extremely serious suddenly, Woojin sighed again.

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“I'm not sure of how to react to what you did!”, he then admitted honestly.  
“But I can't genuinely say, that I wouldn't have done the same, if this would have been about my brother.” 

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The older swallowed hard.  
“My inner wolf probably would have gone stark raving mad!”, he mumbled.  
“That's why I can't really bring myself to accuse you of murder or anything, because to me, it looks more like self-defense.”

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Inhaling once more, Woojin swung his arms back and forth a bit, as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands, until he settled in simply letting them hang down again.  
It almost made Chan smile. Almost.

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“I know, you're hurting right now!”, the older then began again.  
“And I can only imagine the burden that is weighing you down because of what you did, the knowledge, that you killed someone!”

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Chan flinched at those words, but didn't say a thing nonetheless.

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“But, your friends need you right now, even if the threat is no longer there. You have to take over responsibility for what you did and who you are. And you are their leader!”

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Shortly, it was quiet after Woojin had finished, only the distant cry of a nocturnal animal echoing through the night. 

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Chan wasn't sure of how to answer. A part of him was unbelievably relieved, that Woojin didn't think of him as a monster.  
But the other part felt sick. Very sick. 

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Sick to the core, that once again, someone gave him a pass, just like his friends did.  
That once again, someone thought, it was okay, when clearly, it had never been!

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Therefore, when he answered, his voice was low and bitter. 

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“You don't understand -!”

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Woojin shook his head. 

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“No, you are right!”, he agreed, misinterpreting Chan's words.  
“I don't fully understand what you are feeling and no offense, but I really hope, I'll never really be able to, but you can't let that guilt eat away at you! You saved Jisung!”

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That was, when something in Chan snapped.  
He couldn't help it.  
He had tried to bury his true feelings in the deepest part of his guts for the entire past year, and now his self-control was over. 

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Lies are short-legged, how Jinyoung had used to say back then.  
His lie had run far enough.  
He had lied long enough!

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“No!”, he therefore snarled at a surprised looking Woojin, his back straightening from the shot of anger that cursed through his entire body.

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“That is not what I meant! What I tried to say, was that you don't understand, because you idolize me!” 

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Scoffing, he shook his head in disbelief at his own words. 

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“You want me to be this perfect person, that you see in me, this perfect leader.” 

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Every time the word 'perfect left his lips, Chan felt like throwing up.  
He was anything but that!

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As Woojin opened his mouth to protest, Chan held his hand up quickly to indicate the older to stay silent.

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“I'm not stupid, Woojin!”, he chuckled dryly, purposefully neglecting the honorifics. It just didn't feel right at the moment, even if his father had taught him to always use them.

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“Seungmin told me!”, he went on.  
“Told me about your parents and your hatred for ranks. And also how you admired me because I apparently was so different!” 

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He snorted bitterly. 

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“But guess what? I'm not! You saw someone perfect in me, because you wanted to believe so desperately, that there's a different way to lead a pack, a different way to survive out here. But I'm not different! I'm not perfect!” 

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Chan swallowed, before he pressed out: “I'm just a monster!”

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Starting to shake his head vehemently, Woojin made one step towards him as if to stop Chan from uttering any more words, but Chan wasn't done yet.  
He had one last confession to make!

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Backing away as if to run from Woojin, he laughed humorlessly, but even in his ears, it sounded more like desperate gasps for air and closure.

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“All these months, me killing Keir haunted me, and the thought, that we could meet someone like him again, drove all of us mad!” 

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Chan shuddered when he remembered the time after the attack. 

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“Jisung was so...fucked up!”, he choked out, his hand reaching up to claw at his own hair, just to have something else to focus on but the pain he felt inside.

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“He didn't sleep, didn't eat! He would just sit there and stare into space, until Changbin, Hyunjin or me would get him out of his thoughts. We couldn't even touch him, because every close proximity gave him flashbacks at first. It went on for months! I was so scared, that he would break from what Keir did to him and Nesrin!”

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Woojin had halted his movements again, now helplessly staring at Chan, but the blond couldn't stop.  
He had to get it out!

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“And do you know, what it was, that kept me up during the nights, even when Jisung finally got better and started singing with us again, started talking and eating again, started to at least try to sleep, even though he regularly woke up again because of panic attacks and nightmares? Do you know, what it was?”

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Laughing bitterly, Chan gave his hair a hard, painful tug, widened eyes set on Woojin as he didn't even wait for the older to answer to his rhetorical question.  
Instead, he went on immediately.

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“It was not guilt, that I can assure you! Heavens, no! Never – not even once – did I regret what I did!” 

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Chan felt like there wasn't any air left around for him to get enough oxygen into his lungs for his next words, so he continued breathlessly, too desperate to finally voice his sins.  
To finally confess his deepest darkest secret, that had lived deep within his heart until now.  
It was too heavy to carry around any longer.  
He was so tired.

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“It was the fact, that even, if I had the chance to do it all over again, to only knock him out instead of taking that knife...”, he sputtered shortly, but continued immediately.  
“I would make the same decision! I would kill him again and again, and not for one single second would I feel guilty for doing it!”

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Chan felt his chest heaving because of all the words that had spilled out of it at once, but for some reason, he didn't feel the need to breathe properly. It just didn't matter anymore.

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Letting his hand let go of his abused strands of hair, his arm fell back to his side limply, as he chuckled again, a bitter tone to his weak voice once more.

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“And it ate away at me, because it scared me so so much! I was disgusted by myself, hated me fore feeling that way, but never once did I regret it!” 

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He scoffed as he added: “I still don't! But you know, like this, I'm no different from Keir! If you kill someone, because you thought, that them killing someone else was wrong, then you are no better! Zillah was right! I just put myself above him! Like he did with Nesrin!”

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“No!”

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This time, Woojin's voice was firm, unable for Chan to stop the older, but he had said everything he had wanted to anyways.

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“No, you never put yourself above anyone, Chan!”, Woojin now objected vehemently, stepping closer to the blond again, who just tiredly stared at the alpha.  
“You put Jisung above Keir and frankly no one can blame you for that! Hell, I don't regret either, that you killed him, especially after what you told me! I saw Jisung's panic attack and the look in his eyes that one night, when I accidentally threatened you!”

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His gaze falling to the ground, Woojin smiled sadly. 

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“I can't even begin to imagine, how bad it must have been right after the incident!”, he mumbled silently.  
“And I never want to see Jisung like that either!”

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Then he straightened his back again. His flaming eyes were directly looking at Chan and almost made him flinch with their intensity. 

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“So why would you be a monster?”

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“Because I actively chose to be a killer!”, Chan shot back but the sharpness within his voice was slowly but surely vanishing.  
He felt so incredibly tired. 

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“And because I would make that same choice again, if I would live through that moment a second time!”

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“So what?”, Woojin shrugged.  
“Minho's inner wolf nearly drove him to kill Zillah today, too, before you freaked out.” 

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He raised his arms in apparent defense. 

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“Look, I'm not saying, that what you did was right, but in my opinion, your action's can't be considered monstrous given the circumstances!”

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Clenching his jaw, Chan shook his head.  
Apparently, Woojin still hadn't picked up on it.

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“Woojin, I'm not like Minho!”, he mumbled weakly.  
He would have liked to sound angrier, but he was void of any left-over energy. 

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“I don't have an inner wolf, that drives me to do things!”

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That comment effectively shut Woojin up for a moment, the older raising his brows in confusion.

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“Why wouldn't you have an inner wolf?”, he then asked.

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A cold gush of wind pushed past Chan, making him shiver.  
He really felt like crying, as he answered. 

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“I'm not an alpha, Woojin. I've never been, at least not completely!” 

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When Woojin didn't reply, Chan let his shoulders slump even deeper.  
Heavens, he was so damn tired!

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“Other than Zillah, who was a full beta, I do have a scent and enhanced senses!”, he quietly explained.  
By now, it felt like he was talking in slow-motion, but he hoped, that it only was like that to him due to his exhaustion. 

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“But I don't have an inner wolf, no force inside me, that drives me to protect, to preserve or whatever you want to call it!” 

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He pressed his lips together, before he uttered: “Killing Keir was all me!”

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It took Woojin a moment to react, the alpha only staring at Chan with slightly widened eyes, as if he was trying to progress, what the blond had just said.  
But then, a calm expression spread over the older's face and he suddenly smiled. 

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Chan wanted to yell at him to stop smiling.  
To stop looking at Chan, as if he still was something worth looking at. 

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“I don't care!”, Woojin then replied. 

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Such few words with so much meaning.  
And something about that simple stupid phrase somehow made Chan break.  
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Never before had Woojin seen Chan cry. 

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The other leader had never let any tears fall, not even when Woojin had held him down for Seungmin to burn his wound out. Chan had screamed, cursed, yelled, whined and whimpered, but he had never cried.

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Seeing him now standing there, shoulders slumped in exhaustion and defeat, blond locks curling wildly around his tired face and black eyes overflowing with silent tears, the leader appeared very young and vulnerable to Woojin.  
Almost fragile, as if he would break if Woojin so much as nudged him with the tip of his finger. 

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The bags under the blond's eyes were so dark, Chan looked as if he had been punched in the face twice and his pale skin was almost completely white under the darkness of the falling night, where it wasn't baked in dirt.  
Only now did Woojin realize, how much the other leader had struggled to stay strong for his friends although he had been screaming inside. 

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The blond was at his breaking point!

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Woojin guessed, that the fact, that Chan didn't have an inner wolf, had only added to the self-hate the blond had build up within himself over the past year.  
Because for alphas it wasn't even totally uncommon, that they killed a person that had seriously been threatening a member of their pack or family.  
Their inner wolfs went mad whenever that happened. 

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But Chan had protected Jisung out of his own will and rage, and that was something that couldn't just get explained out here in this world. 

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An alpha's rage: trigger them and it's your own fault!  
But killing another person without reason was still something, that was seen as high treason under the remaining people on this earth. 

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At least along the commoners.  
Woojin had seen his own father kill someone once, so he knew, that not everyone stuck to those unwritten rules.

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Nonetheless, Woojin couldn't bring himself to look at Chan differently. 

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At first, he had been shocked, true, but the longer their conversation went on, the more he realized, that Chan was still only that dorky leader he had come to know.  
Chan still was only twenty years old, he still loved skateboarding and he still would protect his pack with his life – which was why he had gotten into that situation with Keir in the first place. 

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And the more Woojin heard about Keir and Jisung and Nesrin, the bigger his hatred for that man grew.  
He didn't feel sorry for the guy! Not in the least! If anything, he felt rather relieved at the thought, that Chan had ended that monster's stay on earth.

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Refocusing on Chan, Woojin made another small step towards the other leader, whose cheeks were covered in glistening tear-stains by now.  
Not a single sob left the boy's lips but he only stood there, staring at Woojin with pained eyes and a slumped posture, shudders rocking his body whenever the wind around them picked up again.  
It reminded the alpha, that Chan probably had about the same body-temperature as an omega, which was way lower than the one of alphas, making the boy freeze easier.

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“Chan, come here!”, he carefully called out, extending his arms to the blond, who softly shook his head. He looked like, he wanted to back away again, but nonetheless, he didn't move.  
Whether he was done with running, or if he was just too exhausted by now, Woojin couldn't tell.  
But a lump started to form in his throat as well, as he looked at Chan pleadingly.

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“Channie, come on, let's go home!”

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Suddenly crouching down into a slumped ball, Chan pressed his hands against his forehead.

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“Why aren't you disgusted by me?”, Woojin heard him ask with a breaking voice.  
“Why do you still look at me like that? I'm a monster! I'm weak!”

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Lowering himself down right in front of Chan, Woojin smiled, as he felt his own tears starting to wet his cheeks.  
Seeing Chan cry somehow seemed to be contagious.

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“You know, Chan,”, he mumbled softly.  
“I once met a woman, when Minnie, Minho, Jeongin and me were still on the search for a proper home.”

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He could still remember the old omegian woman clearly, that had given them shelter for the night within her little cabbage. She had been kind and wise and had helped Woojin that one night, when the oldest had struggled to believe, that he was able to lead his friends.

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Since Chan seemed to be listening, Woojin continued.

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“She helped us and told me something, that I will never ever forget again!” 

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He smiled. 

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“Kindness is often mistaken for weakness. It's a common mistake, that should never be made though! You know, kind people are not born like that! They do not stumble into kindness at one day, just like that! No, kind people are forged in fire and darkness and imploding stars! They have steel cores that can't be broken! Throw a punch, and you are going to break your hand!” 

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Adjusting his position slightly to prevent his legs from getting numb, Woojin chuckled softly.

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“That was what she told me that night, when I was doubting myself!”, he explained.  
“And I'm telling you this, because I can see very clearly, that you are also one of these kind people. You are fierce and strong and idiotic and unbelievably kind! And that is why you are not a monster and will never be!” 

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He inhaled deeply. 

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“And it's why I know, that even if you feel so weak right now, you will get up again and stand straight. Because that is who you are. A leader, a friend, a brother -”, smiling, he stood up again, stretching his hand out to a staring Chan. “-and an incredibly kind person!”

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Slowly grabbing Woojin's outstretched hand, Chan let the older pull him up, until the blond was standing on his own two feet again, even if slightly wobbly.  
Again, Woojin gave the other leader a small smile, blinking to get his blurry vision to clear up. 

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“Okay?”

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Instead of an answer, Chan suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Woojin, the older returning the gesture in surprise.  
Chan had never been quite affectionate towards him but only with the younger boys out of their group,  
But now, he felt the blond's chest rocking with silent sobs, and the other's crying made Woojin start to weep as well. 

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Squeezing Chan's broad form, Woojin sniffled a little.

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“Why the hell are you crying?”, came Chan's quivering voice from his shoulder and Woojin couldn't help but laugh.

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“You were the one who started this, so don't blame me now!”, he whined between little giggles, that escaped his lips.

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“We are so pathetic!”, was what Chan muttered, before they just stood there, waiting until they both had calmed down a bit. 

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When they stepped apart again, Woojin felt, as if the whole world was finally okay.  
As if with their hug, they had stitched the crack in their life back together, like Seungmin had done with Jisung.

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“Ready to go back now?”, Woojin asked with a grin, but to his surprise, Chan shook his head.

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Probably noticing his concerned expression, Chan gave a short laugh.  
It still didn't show the blond's dimples.

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“I would, really, but we look like we just had a mud-fight or something!”

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Looking down at himself, Woojin had to realize, that Chan was right.  
His hands and pants were covered in dried mud and sand, his fingernails almost black from all the dirt beneath them, and Chan looked even worse.

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“Great, let's go freeze our asses off within the stream!”, he mocked dryly, turning around to walk past the apartment-tower towards the water on the other side of the clearing.  
Chan followed him, silent protest leaving the boy's lips at the thought of the cold bath they would have to take. 

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Woojin himself wasn't too eager to wash himself now either, but he knew, that if he stepped inside the apartment-tower looking like this, Seungmin would chase him right back out.  
His brother hated dirt!

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Pulling off his jacket and his sweater, Woojin left both at the river bank and walked towards the water, halting right in front of it to wait for Chan, who had rid himself of his hoodie and shirt as well.  
They both left their pants and shoes on, since the items were in an equal need of a bath as they were.

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“Ready?”, Woojin asked, looking towards Chan, who had stepped beside him, pale skin shining within the darkness.

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“Don't be so overdramatic, it's just a bath!”, Chan gave back hoarsly. 

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He seemed to have caught ahold of himself, although Woojin could still see the exhaustion in the blonds eyes, as well as grief and a hint of the still squirming unease, that WOojin would love to soothe but didn't know, how to.

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“Trust me, this is not just a bath at this time of the night!”, he retorted dryly, before he grabbed Chan's arm and made a quick step forward, pulling the startled leader with him into the stream.

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“Holy fucking shit!”

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Woojin couldn't help but curse as the ice-cold water reached his skin, even though he was only standing up to his knees within it.

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“Heavens, a little warning would have been nice!”, Chan gasped, and for a short moment, Woojin feared for the tired boy to faint, but luckily, the blond stayed on his two feet, wrist still held tightly by Woojin's left hand.

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“Let's just get this over with and warm up at the fire!”, the alpha suggested through clenched teeth.  
His own feet were already aching from the cold. 

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Wordlessly, Chan waded deeper into the water, hissing with every centimeter the stream reached higher up his body. Woojin was forced to follow him, since she was still holding on to the other leader's arm in fear of Chan loosing his balance because of his fatigue.

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At the time, they were standing in far enough to have the water nibbling at their waists, Chan was already shivering like a dry leaf, his usually rosy lips almost blue by now.

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“Can we please fucking hurry!”, he stuttered out, and Woojin could do nothing but agree.  
Letting go of the blond's hand reluctantly, he started scrubbing down his arms and pants, making his finger's become numb within literal seconds. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Chan do the same with clenched teeth.

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“Okay, done, see you at home!”, the other leader suddenly hissed out, before he turned around and sprinted out of the stream. 

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Feeling his usual competitive fire start to burn within him, Woojin immediately bolted after him, his body very grateful, that he had left the freezing water again.

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“Hey, that's cheating!”, he yelled after Chan, who only waved him over his shoulder, as he ran back over the clearing towards the apartment-tower, sweater in hand.  
Grabbing his own clothes, Woojin head after him with big steps, until he caught up to the younger at the stairs of the building.  
Chan was panting hard.

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“I seriously need to sleep!”, he huffed out, and Woojin couldn't help but laugh.

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“You can do that, but first, you guys still owe us a proper explanation of what happened back then!”, he reminded the other leader, Chan only nodding in affirmation.

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“Don't worry, no more secrets!”, the blond assured silently and Woojin smiled.  
He placed his Hand on the dip of Chan's waist, as he passed him to climb the stairs and push open the main entrance, his steps halting for a few seconds, so he could let his Palm linger on Chan's bare Skin.  
It felt warm and cold at the same time. And unbelievably soft, yet so strong.  
Woojin was able to feel Chan's muscles shift under his fingers.

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Their eyes met for a second and Woojin would have liked to erase this flickering light of distress, that still hauted Chan's black eyes.  
Even during their first Meeting he had already known, that he could get lost in those dark orbs, if he weren't careful enough.  
Apparently, Woojin's prediction's had be right for once.

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Seungmin would have laughed for sure if he had known.

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Then, Chan averted his gaze again and their Moment was cut off. Woojin retracted his Hand and resumed with walking past Chan.

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“Good to hear!”, he gave back over his shoulder in answer to the blond's last promise. 

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His Palm was still tingling, where it had gotten in contact with Chan's back.

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“Then let's get going, before we get sick!”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go...
> 
> How did you guys like it? Was anyone disappointed because of the outcome?  
> did anyone take my bait and blame Channie for everything for a second because of the 'pale hands' - Repetition in the last chapter? 
> 
> I would be so happy about any Kind of comment and Feedback!
> 
> Also, don't settle down just yet! The climax might be over, but the angst still isn't! because i just seem to love to make the Boys suffer!;)
> 
> Anyways, stay save and feel free to talk to my about any Kind of Feelings or theories!
> 
> Also, a few already requested an extra Scene, about how Minho got his scar, so im thinking about writing that and posting it in the second part of this series. Are there any other requests?  
> Feel free to comment those too!;)


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!  
> Mention of rape/non-con; mention of violence/blood/murder/character death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, the chapter to explain whatever there is left to get explained...(I'm pretty sure, that was not correct english but who cares, i think you get what I'm saying...)

Minho hadn't left Jisung's side ever since Seungmin had finished wrapping up the omega's wounds, and even now, that his stomach was starting to growl because of hunger, he didn't feel like moving. 

Jisung was lying beside him, eyes still closed and dried tear stains on his cheeks, as he slept on, probably incredibly exhausted from this whole day and yesterday night. 

Because Minho wasn't stupid and not a heavy sleeper either. 

He had heard Jisung cry after waking up from his nightmare and his conversation with Chan.  
He had heard, how the blond hadn't been sleeping and how Jisung had taken forever to finally calm down again.  
  
But even though he had wanted to talk to them about it, he hadn't known, how to.  
  
He had felt like an intruder on their silent conversation, that he wouldn't even have been able to hear, if not for his enhanced senses, and therefore, he had kept quiet about it, storing the knowledge and his questions away within the deeper part of his brain where they hadn't been able to bother him too much over the day. 

But as soon as that woman had stepped out of the forest, just like that, searching for Chan and his pack, Minho had known, that something couldn't be right.  
His inner wolf hadn't trusted her for even one second.

But what had shaken him way more than the sudden appearance of that person, was Jisung's reaction. 

Minho had been able to see the blank horror in the omega's eyes, when he and his friends had stormed over to keep Zillah away from Minho and Woojin, and the alpha could easily say, that that was an expression he never wanted to see Jisung make ever again! 

The omega wasn't one to ever be seriously scared!  
  
Sure, he was just as jumpy as Minho was, but it was never actual fear. But at the sight of Zillah, Jisung had crumbled, even going so far as to hide behind Hyunjin and Changbin.  
  
Minho could only begin to imagine, how bad the omega's experiences must have been in connection to that woman.  
He didn't want to think about it to be honest.

As his eyes wandered over Jisung's sleeping features, he couldn't help but remember that moment again. 

Jisung had literally saved his life.  
  
If it hadn't been for the omega, the woman's knife would have cut through _his_ skin. 

How Zillah could have known, that Jisung would jump to the front, he didn't know, but he assumed, it was because the woman had known Jisung for longer, probably being able to read his movements by now.

He had saved Jisung's ass at the crane, now the boy had returned that favor by literally taking a knife for him.

The thought, that the omega would have given his life for him, touched Minho deeply and he had to swallow hard to prevent the lump in his throat from growing. 

“Hey, you okay, Min?”

Felix deep voice was low, as the freckled boy let himself plop down onto the blanket Minho was sitting on as well. 

“You look kinda lost in thoughts!”

Shrugging, Minho crossed his legs under him. 

“I was remembering today!”, he mumbled in reply, eyes still set on Jisung.

Felix sighed. 

“Man, who doesn't?”, the orange-head muttered back.  
“I heard he saved your ass this time?”

Chuckling, Minho nodded. 

“Yeah, seems like he really couldn't accept my favor!”, he joked halfheartedly.  
“I told him he didn't owe me anything!”

Felix snorted. 

“As if Jisung ever listened to you, or either of us who aren't named 'Channie-hyung'!”, he retorted dryly and this time, Minho couldn't help but laugh.

“True!”, he answered with a smile.  
“He's one annoying idiot, that's for sure!”

“And trust me, it's gonna get worse!”, a new voice cut into their conversation. 

When Minho looked up, he was able to see Changbin sitting down next to Felix, the alpha immediately inviting the shorter for a hug, which gladly got taken by the omega.  
  
Ignoring their surprisingly intimate behavior, Minho frowned at Changbin, who had snuggled into Felix side by now. 

“What do you mean, it's gonna get worse!”

Giggling, Changbin looked at him with his sharp eyes, that didn't match his personality at all. 

“How long do you think, Jisung is able to keep still?”, he asked Minho with a mischievous grin.  
  
Furrowing his brows, Minho stared at the short boy. 

“No longer than one hour at a max!”, he then answered slowly, not sure, what Changbin was trying to say.  
  
The omega giggled again.

“And how long do you think it'll take that wound of his to heal, until Seungmin let's him move again?”

Felix and Minho groaned at the same time, as they both realized the truth of Changbin's argument.

“He's gonna be insufferable!”, Minho complained, as he looked back at Jisung, subconsciously grabbing the blanket Jeongin had lay over the omega's form, to pull it up higher, so the boy wouldn't freeze.  
  
When he turned back, Felix and Changbin were both staring at him with slightly raised eyebrows.

“What?” Minho frowned back at them in confusion.  
“Did I say something?”

Snickering, Felix shook his head, finally breaking off his stare. 

”Nope, not a thing, Min!”, he grinned, his hand reaching out to pat Minho on the shoulder.  
“Just continue doing what you're doing and being who you are!”

Minho couldn't help the snort, that escaped him. Changbin seemed to have a similar problem.

“Lix, no offense but you scare me when you start talking like this!”, Minho retorted dryly, poking his freckled friend in the side, which instantly got Felix squirming to avoid his finger.   
  
Laughing, the orange-head bat Minho's hand away, while he pulled Changbin back to his side, the omega having leaned away a bit to be out of the rage of Minho's attack.

And for a short moment, to Minho it seemed, as if everything was finally okay. 

But then, his gaze drifted back to Jisung's frail looking form underneath the blanket and he realized, that there were still so many words left unsaid, so many puzzle pieces left for them to put into place.  
  
If he was honest, Minho wasn't even sure whether he wanted to hear all details of the other pack's story, but he knew, he had to to finally be able to let all of this go.

As if on cue, in that moment, he was able to pick up on faint steps from outside, rushing up the stairs, until Woojin and Chan appeared within the frame of the main door, shirtless and shivering with dripping wet pants and hair.  
  
Minho assumed, that they had taken a bath after burying the body.   
The body of the woman that had almost killed Chan and Jisung. 

Thinking about it like that, Minho couldn't help the slight spark of satisfaction, that lit up within his chest for a second.  
  
He knew, it was cruel and wrong, and therefore tried to smother it immediately, but knowing, that the woman, who had dared to try and get revenge on Chan by taking the life of a person who had only ever been a victim in this whole fight from the very start, was dead now, almost made his inner wolf purr in delight. 

His pack was safe, Jisung was alive, Zillah wasn't suffering anymore and the time of secrets and mysteries had finally passed.  
Well, almost at least!

“Guys, gather around the fire, we have some stuff to talk about!”, Woojin announced right at that moment.  
  
Chan stood beside him wordlessly, pale lips pressed together and free hand placed over his scar, as he shared a quick glance with Changbin, who was still leaned against Felix.   
Minho could see the faint outlines of a smile on Chan's face, as the blond's gaze crazed him shortly, before the blond was back to averting his eyes.

“We are only waiting for you guys and Hyunjin and Jeongin!”, came Seungmin's prompt reply, as the healer stepped out of the medical room, where he had been storing his utensils away again after the operation.  
When Woojin frowned at his brother's words, Minho chimed in helpfully.

“They went down to take care of the deer from today's hunt!”

Eyes clearing in realization, Woojin nodded. 

“Good job for thinking of that!”, he praised no one in particular, since the two responsible boys weren't present at the moment.  
“I'm seriously starving!”

Grabbing a silent Chan by the wrist, Woojin nodded at Minho shortly. 

“We're just gonna change into something dry real quick, then we're ready for today's story-time!”, the oldest informed, before he pulled Chan out of the main hall again, the blond awkwardly stumbling after him with his arm still caught within Woojin's grip.

“What exactly happened out there?”

Coming over from his spot within the door frame of the medical room, Seungmin lowered himself down beside Changbin although his gaze was not shifting from Minho.   
  
The question reminded Minho, that Felix, Seungmin and Jeongin still had no idea about what Chan had done and why Jisung was injured.   
They had to be feeling unbelievably confused at the moment.

“Well, it's not exactly my story to tell!”, Minho answered slowly, a side-glance towards Changbin showing him the short omega's downcast eyes.  
“But please don't judge Chan for what he did!”

It Minho's eyes, he never once had blamed Chan for his actions.  
  
Chan had protected Jisung, had protected his pack, and that was not something, Minho thought the blond should feel sorry for. After all, it had been self defense. 

Out here, it was either eat or get eaten. And if not getting eaten meant to kill his enemy, then Minho was sure, he himself would gladly do so, even if he had never had to make such a choice before.

Frowning, Seungmin crossed his arms over his chest. 

“What's with that answer!”, the omega grumbled, but when their attention got drawn towards Jeongin and Hyunjin, who were entering the main hall while carrying the usual food-basket between them, filled to the brim with freshly cut meat, the healer seemingly swallowed the rest of his comments.

Tumbling across the room towards the fire, Hyunjin and Jeongin lowered the basket down a few meters away from the rest of the group within the hall.  
  
Sighing in relief, the youngest massaged his apparently aching left shoulder.

“Damn, I really don't know, how Woojin-hyung always does that all on his own!”, he hissed out before grabbing a spare blanket and plopping down beside the basket.  
Following his example with a soft giggle, Hyunjin got comfortable at Jisung's other end, that wasn't occupied by Minho.

“True, he's downright scary sometimes!”, the tall alpha agreed.  
  
He sounded a little more careful again, like about two weeks ago, but Minho assumed, that this was only because of today's shock and not because the pretty boy had lost trust in them.

Chuckling lightly to take a little of the tension out of the air, Minho shook his head in refusal.

“He's just a huge teddy bear with motherly tendencies!”, he mocked although simultaneously hoping, that his best friend wouldn't hear him. 

Because even though he knew, that he was in fact right about his words, and that Woojin really was friendliness in person, he also knew, that Hyunjin hadn't been wrong either.  
  
The oldest could be fucking scary, if necessary! Or whenever he got competitive!

“The huge teddy bear with motherly tendencies will whoop your ass, if you say that again!”

Flinching, Minho turned towards an entering Woojin with an innocent smile on his face, hoping that he would be able to pull is head out of that situation.

“Woojinnie-hyung!”, he exclaimed overly excited, earning himself a snort from Seungmin and suppressed cackles from Felix and Changbin.  
  
Woojin, however, - now dressed in loose dark pants and a washed out gray shirt - only rolled his eyes, before he crossed the hall, and sat down beside Jeongin.  
Patting the younger alpha on the shoulder, he smiled.

“Great work with the meat!”, he praised, his warm gaze shifting over to Hyunjin.  
“You, too, Hyunjin-ah!”  
  
Grinning, Jeongin pushed the filled basket, that was partly placed between them, closer towards Woojin.

“You wanna do the roasting then?”, he asked slyly, but Woojin only laughed with a nod. 

“I will do the roasting!”, he confirmed with a smile.  
“I'm sure, Chan will help me with it!”

Frowning, Minho let his eyes flicker back towards the abandoned main entrance.

“Speaking of which...”, he started slowly. “where is Chan? Wasn't he with you, when you went to change?”

Shrugging, Woojin scrambled to is feet once more, when his searching gaze discovered the sticks they used to roast their food on the other end of the room, beside the shelf.

“He said, he would follow in a second!”, the oldest answered over his shoulder, fetching the sticks and returning to his former spot.  
“So I guess he should be here any moment!”

Not missing the worried glance, Hyunjin and Changbin shared across the fire, Minho frowned again.  
  
Was Chan okay? After all, the leader hadn't slept in quite some time and was probably still affected by today's events.  
And although Chan always seemed so strong and grounded, Minho knew not to judge a person by the appearance of their surface. 

Calm waters were often deep!

“I'm here, sorry for making you guys wait!”

Changbin's relieved sigh was so loud, that Minho was sure, even Chan, who had only just entered the room, had been able to hear it without difficulty.   
  
Nonetheless, the blond didn't react to it, only walking over to their group with determined steps, seemingly back to his old confident self.  
  
But when Minho took a closer look, he could see the leader's tense shoulders and the reservation in his eyes, as he sat down beside Woojin. 

Chan was scared, there was no doubt about it. 

From the corner of his eye, Minho saw Changbin starting to stir.  
The short omega seemingly made a move to join his leader on the other side of their circle to support him, but Chan only shook his head slightly at his friend, indicating for him to stay put.   
Complying, the omega slumped back into Felix' embrace. 

“Is Jisung okay?”, Woojin broke the silence, after everyone was properly seated.  
The oldest had begun propping up the pieces of meat onto the sticks he had fetched before. 

Normally they would use the bigger construction they had build once to be able to roast more meat at once without having to hold anything up all the time, but Minho figured, that Woojin simply didn't have the nerve right now, to set the thing up, that was leaning against the wall beside their shelf. 

“His condition hasn't changed ever since you guys left!”, Seungmin took it upon himself to answer.  
  
The healer looked over to Chan, seemingly trying to contemplate, why the blond was sporting such a grave look despite his friend being save.  
  
“He's still deeply asleep, hasn't moved an inch, but his nightmares seem to have toned down a bit and his breath and pulse are strong and even!”

Nodding in approval, Woojin finished the first stick of meat, handing it over to Jeongin, who rolled is eyes but took it nonetheless to hold it over the fire.

“Hyung, let's not beat around the bush, please!”, Seungmin suddenly groaned, throwing his head back to look at the ceiling above them, his brown hair flipping back with the exasperated motion.  
“What the fuck happened today? I ain't stitching anyone back together again, until I know the full story!”

The omega ducked just in time to avoid the flying chestnut, his older brother had thrown at him for using a curse-word again.

Next to Woojin, Minho could see Chan lowering his head and grabbing a stick himself to help the oldest with his task.

“Patience, Minnie, I was gonna get to that!”, Woojin assured, as he resumed his doing, finishing a second stick that he wordlessly held out for Hyunjin to grab.  
  
The tall alpha complied, but his eyes were cast downwards, not looking at either Woojin nor Seungmin or Jeongin directly.

Then, Woojin looked up, meeting Minho's gaze with his own, and the younger could practically feel his best friend's deep inhale, before the oldest cleared his throat and straightened his back as if to brace himself for the upcoming conversation.

“Alright,”, he then said, making Minho smile a bit with how calm and collected his voice sounded.  
  
That was what he had always admired about Woojin.   
When everything went to hell, his friend was a rock within the storm!

“I think it's time for you guys to begin with your story! From start to finish!”

The oldest's words were directed at everyone from the other pack, but his eyes were set on Chan beside him, who simply held out his finished stick of meat towards Seungmin.  
The healer, however, passed the food on to Changbin and Felix, his gaze not wavering from Chan. 

It almost made Minho chuckle, if it hadn't been for their current situation.  
  
If there was something, Seungmin absolutely despised, apart from messes and dirt, it was not knowing something. 

And if the omega was onto something, there was no stopping him. 

Not that Minho would have tried.   
Seungmin could get truly scary, when he was mad!

Sighing and fixing his posture as well, Chan finally raised his head again. His black eyes looked unfazed, but Minho could see the unsure, yet warm glance the leader threw towards Hyunjin and Changbin, before he nodded.

“I'll tell!”, he curtly stated, shuffling a bit in his seat and inhaling once more, before he rose to talk, taking over the role, that usually belonged to Jisung.

“Before we got here, we used to wander around a lot, as all of you already know. Sungie told you at our campfire-session after our trip!” 

When Chan received agreeing nods, he continued. 

“Well, back then, we often stayed with other packs, whenever we met some, hunting with them, before we traveled on. It was our way of living!” 

The blond began ruffling his right hand through his locks, probably to have something to distract himself a bit with.

“But there was one pack we stayed with often, because they had a good place to spent the colder seasons at. They already knew us from prior meetings, when we went there last year, too, and we didn't think anything of coming back to them.”

Swallowing heavily, Chan seemed to avoid anyone's curious stares and set his gaze onto the flickering flames in front of him, before he went on.

“Jisung had a best friend there - Nesrin - whom he has already told you about once!”, he reminded.  
“And I was very close with the leading couple of the group, a man and a woman. Their names were Zillah and Keir.” 

Chan shook his head slightly. 

“I don't know, what origin they had, that led them to have such names, but nonetheless, they spoke our language, so it didn't really matter! We got along great, Hyunjin and Changbin having their group of people they liked to go hunting with as well, so everything worked for us. We helped them with their tasks, and in return, we were allowed to stay the winter, before we traveled on. Everything was okay!”

Although Minho already knew the biggest parts of the story, he couldn't help but be intrigued by Chan's words nonetheless.   
After all, it was the first time, that he heard the whole thing at once.

Jeongin seemed to hang off Chan's lips as well, as the young alpha's sharp gaze was not budging from the blond's face even once, his mouth hanging open a little.  
  
It reminded Minho of the fact, that the boy was probably the one who knew the least about the past of the other group.

“But it didn't stay that way! Or rather, we lived within an illusory world!”, Hyunjin's low voice murmured from the side, still loud enough for everyone to hear.

Chan nodded, his eyes darkening even more.

“It wasn't as it seemed!”, he agreed bitterly.  
“The people we thought we knew, weren't who they appeared to be!”

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Minho shuddered.  
  
He knew.  
He knew, what Chan was about to tell them – well, for the most part at least – but he still felt his hand reach out for Felix', his freckled friend scooting a little closer toward him as well. 

“One night -” Chan's voice got a little hoarse and he quickly cleared his throat to continue, right hand still buried within his mess of hair, that continued to suffer under the blond's stress.  
  
“One night, a little over a year ago, we were with them again, having settled down at their camp to spent the winter with them. Jisung always used to sleep in the same tent, as Nesrin, while Hyunjin, Changbin and me stayed with other friends. So I didn't notice at first, when he left his tent in the middle of the night to look for Nesrin, who apparently had gone missing for some reason!”

Throwing an unnerved glance in Jisung's direction, Chan only went on, when the omega didn't move in the slightest, not showing any sign, that he was awake and listening. 

“He found her body first, within the forest, a few hundred meters away from the main camp!” 

This time, Chan's voice broke a little, but the leader went on, his gaze still set on the burning fire within their middle, as if his words would refuse to leave his tongue, if he looked at anyone around him. 

“Right before Keir found him!”

A slight gasp could be heard from Jeongin, and Minho would have liked to walk over and cover the youngest's ears, to prevent him from listening to such a cruel story, but he didn't feel capable of moving, his shoulder pressed tightly against Felix' own, the freckled boy's muscles tense under his clothes.

Luckily, Woojin reached out and put an arm around Jeongin protectively.  
Only Seungmin didn't huddle up to anyone, only staring at Chan with unreadable eyes.

Taking in a quivering inhale, Chan bit his lower lip harshly.

“I woke up, because I felt like something was wrong!”, he explained, voice a little pressed.  
“I went to check on Jisung and realized, that neither him, nor Nesrin were still within their tent. So I followed Sungie's scent into the forest, only to find Nesrin.”

Again, Chan's voice broke.  
His gaze was no longer firm and steady but wavered just as much as his words and Minho was able to see the leader's shoulder's start to shake.

“She was already dead, covered in her own blood, robbed of her clothes...”, 

Chan's trembling got worse, and only now did Minho realize, that not only Jisung had gone through this kind of traumatic experience, but Chan as well.  
  
The leader always seemed so strong, that Minho had never really thought about it properly, but the blond must have carried away some inner scars as well.  
  
No one saw things like that without it leaving behind some kind of impression!

This time, Changbin didn't let himself be stopped, as he wriggled himself out of Felix's embrace and scrambled over to his shaking leader, wrapping his arms around the blond's form.  
  
Accepting the omega's support, Chan hugged back before he exhaled deeply as if to steady himself again.

“Only a little further away from her body, Keir had pressed down Jisung, ready to do the same thing to him, as he had done to Nesrin!”

Now, Chan's tone got sharp and hateful.

“I went to attack him, pushed him off Jisung, but he was ready to fight back and pulled his weapon against me, a knife similar to Zillah's!” 

Stopping shortly, Chan gulped, before he quietly added: “The one he had killed Nesrin with only minutes prior!”

Almost crawling into his lap, Felix pressed himself even closer against Minho, his orange hair brushing against the older's jaw.  
It was a wonder to the alpha, how the freckled boy hadn't already left the room yet to throw up somewhere.   
  
Felix was just as bad at hearing stories about blood as he was with seeing it.

“So that bastard was the reason for Jisung's trauma!”, Seungmin spat out, his eyes narrowed to hateful slits.  
“And a murderer on top of it! I hate such people, that have no respect for life and others!”

Chan flinched so hard at the healer's words, that Minho was able to see the jolt rocking Changbin's body as well, the omega only squeezing his leader harder.  
  
Shuffling on his spot uncomfortably, Minho shared a quick glance with Woojin. 

How would Seungmin react to Chan having killed someone as well?

“Storie's not over yet, Minnie!”, the oldest reminded calmly, making Seungmin huff and cross his arms but remain silent again.

Throwing the healer a wary glance, Chan gulped once more.

“Zillah and Keir were awesome at knife-fights!”, he then went on, his right hand finally leaving his hair alone, after Changbin had carefully eased the blond strands out of his grasp.  
  
“Which was also the reason, why I didn't want any of you to fight against her before. Luckily, back then Zillah and I had practiced only one day prior to the whole incident, so I was able to avoid Keir's attacks, since he had always been a little slower than me. In the end, I was able to disarm him, the knife landing in my hand.”

There was a short silence, within which none of them uttered a word, everyone close to holding their breath.   
This part was one, that not even Minho had heard yet.

Stuttering a little, Chan picked up the word again.

“But Keir didn't leave us alone. He attacked again, this time going for Jisung. And at that point I didn't hesitate anymore. I had this knife in my hand, and I knew, I shouldn't do it! I knew, I should only knock him out and flee! But I didn't want that. He had killed Nesrin after raping her and he would have done the same to Jisung!” 

By now, Chan was rambling, his tone getting louder with every word, while his left hand was clutching onto Changbin's sweater tightly as if to ground himself.   
The omega at his side, had his eyes closed, face halfway buried within his leader's clothing. 

Minho could practically see them live through that night again, could see the horror within their faces and hear the despair in Chan's voice. 

Feeling his own inner wold starting to stir for the umpteenth time today, Minho had to suppress a growl.  
  
He would have torn that bastard to shreds, if he would have had the chance!

Seemingly sweeping together every last bit of strength, Chan choked his last words out.

“So I killed him!”

Silence.

Nothing could be heard, except for Chan's slightly ragged breaths and the crackling of the campfire.  
  
When Minho let his gaze wander, he could see mixed expression's on everyone's faces.

Woojin looked calm and collected, since the oldest had already known about the fact, that Chan had killed someone. 

Jeongin's face was twisted in pure horror, the youngest cowering at his leader's side with widened eyes.

Felix looked ready to throw up, his darker freckles standing out even more, now that his skin was ashen.

And Seungmin looked disbelieving, as his eyes twitched between Chan and Woojin.

“You killed him?”, the healer broke the quiet moment after a few seconds, words directed at Chan.  
“You could have let him live, but you didn't?”

Minho felt the need to get up and defend the blond, but Woojin sent him a warning glare, that let him freeze in his spot.  
  
Not now!

Obviously fighting with himself, Chan managed to look directly into Seungmin's accusatory eyes.   
For a moment, it seemed as if the two of them were conversing about something, Minho had no knowledge of.

“Yes!”, Chan then answered hoarsely.  
“I killed him because I wanted him dead!”

Seungmin sputtered a little. 

“But why?”, he squeaked out, the shock now clearly settling in.  
“What less of a monster are you, if you do the same thing, he did?”

Chan's eyes were reflecting all the pain Seungmin's words caused the leader, his whole body flinching with every syllable.  
  
Changbin appeared ready to attack Seungmin for making his best friend hurt, but Chan's grip on his shorter pack-mate was strong, apparently signaling him to stay out of it.  
  
And again, Changbin complied, the omega only grinding his teeth.

But although, Minho could see the agony in Chan's eyes, he was also able to make out another emotion, that almost looked like...relief?

“You're right, I'm no different, than he was!”, Chan replied, voice now firmer.  
“But I don't regret doing it! I wouldn't have been able to let him go after what he did to Sungie and Nesrin!”

“But you killed someone!”, Seungmin shouted, his eyes widened in distress.  
“You took someone else's life because you thought, it was wrong, that they did it to someone as well! Where is the logic in that?”

His words egged Minho on and he couldn't stay quiet any longer.

“I would have done the same, Min!”, he cut in vehemently, letting go of Felix hand and untangling himself a bit from his still shocked friend's limbs.  
  
“If it would have been me, I would have killed that bastard over and over again, just to make him suffer as much as he did with Jisung! It's in our genes to protect our pack!”

Teeth sinking into his lower lip, Chan averted his eyes again, as Seungmin turned towards Minho with a raging glare.

“Chan is not an alpha!”, he snapped back, almost making Minho choke on sheer air. 

What? What else should the blond be?

Apparently, everyone but Woojin was shocked as well.

“He's not?”, Felix asked in confusion, seemingly having gained back the ability to speak, just as Changbin huffed out a flabbergasted “You knew?” in Seungmin's direction.

The healer laughed bitterly. 

“Chan does not have an inner wolf!”, he stated loudly, eyes flaming.  
“He was born with the scent and the senses of an alpha but he has the overall DNA of a beta!”

That information knocked the wind out of Minho's sails for a second. 

Chan didn't have an inner wolf?   
But that meant, that he didn't have any kind of instincts! Nothing to make him loose control and force him to protect!  
Did that make him a worse person for killing someone?   
Could Minho judge his actions differently, just because he didn't have an inner beast to drive him? 

After all, even if Chan did have had one, it would still have been the blond's hands, who would have killed Keir!   
So, did it really make a difference?

Minho's mind was running wild, as he tried to understand, how this new piece of information was influencing his feeling towards the blond leader.

Back in the city, the teachers had always warned of Betas during the lessons about the second genders.   
Because betas supposedly were unpredictable and therefore dangerous.

But then again, this Keir-guy had been a proper alpha. And he had been capable up such a cruel thing.  
  
So could Minho really still trust the words of the teachers?

“What would you have done?”

Hyunjin's voice was clear and determined, yet still soft as it cut through the noise, silencing everyone and everything, including Minho's thoughts.

Looking up in surprise, Seungmin tilted his head to the side. 

“Would have done when?”, he gave back in a quivering tone.  
  
It was evident, how upset he was over the crime Chan had made himself guilty of as he returned Hyunjin's gaze.

The tall alpha's hands were playing with a string of his shirt nervously, but his expression stayed calm, only his dark eyes holding a warm sparkle.

“Your inner wolf forces you to preserve, instead of protecting! What would you have done in Chan's place, if Keir had attacked Jeongin?”

Jeongin flinched at the Hyunjin's words and Seungmin, too, looked uncomfortable. Opening and closing his mouth without loosing a single word, realization visibly began to dawn on Seungmin's face, and the omega lowered his head in contemplation, as he thought Hyunjin's words over.

“I'm not sure!”, he then admitted, voice wary.  
“I'm seriously not sure, how I would react!”

For the first time this evening, ever since this conversation had started, Minho saw Woojin smile.

“Neither do I, Minnie!, he reassured gently.  
“But I know, if this had happened to you, I wouldn't have let that bastard get away that easily either!”

Meanwhile, Minho found himself confused about an entirely different matter. 

“What exactly does it mean not to have an inner wolf?”, he questioned genuinely. 

He still couldn't find it in him to blame Chan, even with the knowledge, that Chan lacked the usual driving forces he knew.  
Not given the circumstances back then! 

But, he had never met someone before, that did have a smell, but no inner wolf. No instincts!   
How did that even work?

The faint shadow of a smile ghosted over Chan's chapped lips.

“It means, that, where you feel this tug inside your chest, this force, that's sometimes hard to control, there is only my beating heart inside me.”, the blond answered willingly, probably happy to change the topic to something he couldn't really get blamed for.  
  
“No growling, no trying to break free, no protective beast that forces you to act, even if you don't really want to. And no survival-coach! I have to make all my decisions myself, without instincts telling me, what my inner animal would do!”

For some reason, Minho wasn't exactly sure, whether he should find the sound of that interesting or scary. 

Not having something to control within you seemed relaxing, but at the same time, he knew, he could always rely on his inner wolf to help him survive and that was very reassuring, if he was honest.  
  
Although Chan seemed to have made it this far, even as half a beta.

Pulling his eyebrows together, Minho chewed on his lower lip in contemplation.  
  
Calling Chan a beta didn't sound right.  
In his eyes, the blond was still an alpha. A strong, kind, sometimes crackhead-like alpha, that was the leader of his pack and would give his life for them.

“So how did you get your injury then?”

Felix voice sounded curious and when Minho glanced at the freckled boy beside him, he could see, that the orange-head was back to having a little more color within his face, not looking as white as a sheet anymore. 

Whether Felix was okay with what Chan had done, or not, wasn't clear though.

A vitriolic scowl appearing on his face, Changbin scoffed. 

“Zillah followed us!”, he snarled, but was calmed down immediately by Chan.

“As soon as Jisung and I were able to get Hyunjin and Changbin out of their tent and to us, we fled!”, the blond explained quietly, picking up the story again.  
“We ran and never looked back!”

“That's not entirely true, I looked back many times!”, Changbin cut in briefly again, but was ushered quiet by Hyunjin this time, the alpha mouthing a “Not now, Binnie!”, in the shorter's direction.

Starting to comb his fingers through his hair again, Chan sighed.

“Zillah was Keir's mate!”, he continued.  
“And because Zillah was a full-blown beta, other than me, who at least still had a scent, all she had ever known, before she met Keir, was disgust and violence from others. But Keir treated her well, gave her protection and finally founded their pack with her.”

By now, Minho could see Seungmin picking at his nails and Felix play with the stick of roasted meat within his hands, that had cooked, while they had been busy talking.  
  
Despite the delicious smell and Minho's growling stomach, he didn't feel any kind of appetite. 

Not only that the story was horrible to listen to, but he also got sick, hearing how that abomination of a man, that had hurt Jisung, apparently had not been evil in every aspect of his life.  
  
The guy had had a mate and a pack, had been Chan's friend and a leader as well. Maybe even a father! 

And those facts made it harder for Minho to hate him, although one look back at Jisung's face, the boy still deeply asleep but with a slight frown on his face, made him remember, why he despised the man!

As if on cue, Jisung suddenly started shifting behind him, soft noises falling from the omega's lips.  
  
At first, Minho felt a wave of shock wash through him, scared, that Jisung would have another attack like he did before, but to his relief, the boy only turned his head slightly in the direction of the fire, before he stilled again, sleeping on peacefully.

“He didn't wake up, did he?”, Chan's concerned voice sounded from opposite him, as Minho turned back front.  
  
Wanting to answer, the alpha opened his mouth, only to have Hyunjin beat him to it.

“I don't think, he will wake up anytime soon, Chan-hyung!”, the tall boy answered quietly.  
“He has quite a lot to digest, including a stab wound!”

“That's what I'm so scared of!”, Chan gave back sadly, filling Minho's heart with empathy as his gaze once again fell on the dark bags under the blond's eyes.  
“He always used to cope with daily troubles through nightmares!”

“Well, we will notice, once he gets some, trust me, so would you be so kind as to finally finish your story?”, Seungmin chided in with a piqued tone, the healer restlessly rocking his body back and forth.  
“I finally want to know everything!”

Nodding quickly, Chan threw one last glance towards Minho, since he was seated right beside Jisung's head, before the leader picked up the story again.

“Keir was Zillah's everything, her guardian, her reason to live, the love of her life. He found and accepted her, when everyone else had tossed her away, build her up again. And in exchange, she would have lain the world to his feet!” 

Grimacing at his leader's words, Changbin snorted. 

“That's what made her blind!”, he scoffed, but Chan shook his head slightly. 

“Maybe!”, the blond agreed, his hand drawing tiny patterns into his friend's arm.  
“But remember, that we didn't expect him to ever do something like that either. He never did anything to lead on, that he wasn't who we assumed he was!”

Changbin grumbled in unwanted agreement, but his eyes were still narrowed in fury, as if simply thinking about the guy made his blood boil.  
  
Not that Minho would ever judge the short omega for that! He himself felt ready to bring the guy back from the dead, only to kill him one more time!

“Does that mean, Nesrin was his first victim?”, Woojin cut in, this being the first time, the oldest had dared to interrupt Chan's story.  
Minho assumed, it was because his friend already knew most of it from the time, where him and Chan had gone to bury the body.

Surprisingly, Hyunjin was the one to answer. 

“We're not entirely sure!”, the tall alpha replied softly.  
“She was the first we actively noticed, but there were times, where omegas disappeared from Keir's pack even before that. Looking back, it probably wasn't the first time, that bastard had done something like this!”

Feeling his insides churn in disgust, Minho pressed his hand against his lips, just to make sure, that he wouldn't gag.   
Not that he had anything to throw up, which his growling stomach was constantly reminding him of, but he liked to be sure.  
  
And the more he heard about this Keir-guy, the sicker he felt!

Apparently, Felix was having similar feelings, because the freckled boy had drawn his lips into a thin line, his brown eyes concentrated onto the flickering flames of the fire in an almost desperate looking attempt to get a different picture into his head.

“Chan! Keep going!”

By now, Seungmin seemed ready to throw some hands, just to finally learn about the outcome of the story.  
The frustrated expression on his face would have made Minho laugh, hadn't he known, how insufferably the omega could get in such situations. 

And if the atmosphere had been a bit lighter.

Like this, Chan also seemed to prefer to just go on.

“When I took Keir's life, “, the leader went on, his voice getting a grave undertone again.  
“Zillah couldn't live on just like that. She must have figured out, what he did by the evidence he left behind, but she apparently couldn't accept it. Or didn't want to! I guess it was both.”

The blond's black eyes looked like he was mourning, as he stared into the fire.

”She left her pack behind to search for us, which we only found out, after she attacked us for the first time, a few months ago from now, where I got my injury from.”

Changbin's and Chan's hands simultaneously went to the leader's side, meeting, where the blond's scar was hidden by his shirt. 

Finding himself looking at the spot as well, Minho realized, that this was the end.   
  
There was nothing more to tell, because everyone here obviously knew of the rest, even Seungmin, Felix and Jeongin, who hadn't been with them during the hunt and had therefore not witnessed the second fight between Chan and Zillah.

But apparently, Seungmin still wasn't satisfied.

“So she tracked you down again? Why? Did she want to kill you that badly?”, the healer asked in disbelief, eyes still set on Chan, who clenched his jaw at the words.

“She came to complete her revenge!”, he replied bitterly.  
“And because she wanted me to hurt the same way she did, she tried to take Sungie from us!”

“Did you kill her, too?”

Minho had to work hard to suppress a sputter at Seungmin's words, but he had to admit, that the question wasn't entirely unreasonable. 

After all, if Woojin hadn't been there, he wasn't too sure, what Chan would have done, inner wolf or not. 

Hell, he wasn't even sure, what he himself would - or wouldn't - have done!

“No, Minnie, she killed herself after injuring Jisung!”, Woojin cut in softly.  
“She didn't want to live anymore within a world that had nothing to offer to her but pain and dejection, I guess!” 

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Seungmin nodded in understanding, his expression looking almost relieved.  
  
The omega probably didn't want Chan to be guilty in any way either, how Minho assumed, since the two boys had gotten pretty close on a very special and careful level over the last few weeks.   
Probably because Seungmin had known about one of Chan's secrets. 

Which got Minho thinking again...

“How did you know about Chan's second gender?”, he asked Seungmin. 

The omega interrupted assaulting his lower lip with his teeth, having been lost in thoughts, and flashed Minho a proud grin.

“Who would I be, if I wouldn't even be able to spot the difference between the second genders?”, he shot back, making Minho roll his eyes. 

Of course the healer just had to make a potshot out of his question! 

But nonetheless, he had to prevent his lips from tugging upwards. As long as Seungmin could sass him, it meant, the omega was fine!

Suddenly, a loud gurgling sound could be heard echoing through the entire hall. 

Everyone went silent – and Felix completely red.

“What? I'm hungry!”, the freckled boy defended himself, visibly embarrassed, when Woojin raised an eyebrow at him.

Minho felt the laughter within his chest bubble up, even before it actually broke out of him in steady waves, his whole body convulsing with the spasms.  
  
A tiny part of him was slightly concerned about the fact, that they had just been discussing homicide only minutes ago, and now he was laughing his ass off, about something this trivial, to top it off, but he couldn't really help himself. 

This whole day had been too much, if he was honest, leaving him feeling breathless and crushed by today's events.  
  
Now, that he finally knew everyone save, was aware of the whole story and every secret of the other pack _and_ was allowed to be sure, that nothing like this was ever to happen again, since Zillah was dead - all the tension seemed to drop off his shoulders like loose boulders.

After mere seconds, Felix started giggling along, the alpha lightly punching Minho's shoulder.  
  
Jeongin gave a soft snicker as well, seemingly having recovered from the story, and Woojin smiled gently at them all, as Minho could see, after his laughing fit had died down a bit again.

Snorting, Seungmin shook his head at them. 

“Something is seriously wrong with you guys!”, he remarked dryly, before he scrambled to his feet and grabbed himself a loose sheet, dragging it over to the other side of the circle.  
There, he lowered himself down again, although not beside his older brother, who was still hugging Jeongin. 

Minho had to admit, he was surprised beyond wits, when the healer seated himself next to Hyunjin, the alpha almost immediately welcoming him with a soft-looking embrace.

Although those two had gotten a little closer over the past weeks, it had always been Minho's understanding, that Chan was about the only one, who had managed to pull blunt, skeptic Seungmin out of his shell build from snappy remarks and sarcastic comments. 

Apparently, he had been too blind to see careful, shy Hyunjin sneaking his way through to the healer as well.

Beside him, Felix suddenly mumbled a few haste apologies, before the freckled boy buried his teeth within the ready pieces of meat, that he had still been holding.  
And that action served like a finger-snap to get them all out of their grave motionlessness. 

Woojin went back to preparing the rest of the meat, Chan right at his side to help him.  
  
The latter was still silent, his dark eyes being deep unreadable ponds, but Minho assumed, it was because the blond was so tired. 

To him, it looked like the boy's eye-bags were turning more and more black with every passing minute and Minho was pretty sure, that Chan would fall asleep right after eating.

Changbin had let go of his leaders arm, now sitting upright, and Minho could practically see him contemplate, whether he could allow himself to scoot back towards Felix.

Chan seemed to have noticed his shorter friend's thinking as well, because he gently nudged the omega into the orange-haired alpha's direction while flashing him a quick smile.  
  
The gesture wasn't more than the slight upward-tugging of one corner of the blond's mouth, but seemingly, it was enough for Changbin, since the buff omega shot his leader a lopsided grin before he took two of the readied sticks of meat and shuffled over towards the empty spot beside Felix. 

The scraping sound of the material of Changbin's pants over the stony soil made Minho grimace, but only seconds later, his discomfort turned into gratefulness, when the omega reached them and held one of his meat-sticks out to Minho.

The gesture let Minho grow aware of his own hunger again, when his stomach growled impatiently, although much more quiet, than Felix's had done.

“Thanks, Binnie!”, he grinned at the shorter, shuffling in his seat a bit to adjust his position enough to be able to hold the food over the flames of the campfire.  
  
Following his example, Changbin let out a deep sigh.

“Man, you have no idea, how glad I am, that this whole secret is finally out!”

He still seemed reluctant to lean back into Felix, as if he wasn't exactly sure, whether that would cross some newly build boundaries, but when the alpha reached out to pull him closer, Changbin didn't hesitate for another second.

Seeing the omega happily nestle back against Felix made Minho laugh again. 

Somehow, the members of the other group now felt much closer, than they had before.  
As if the secret they had kept, had actually been a broad gulf between their two packs, separating them, even when they had been together.  
And now, that this gulf had closed, Minho could feel their intimacy grow, as well as their trust. 

Which was kind of confusing, the fact that he trusted Chan more, now that he knew, that the older had killed someone. It was probably weird, but to Minho, knowing felt way better than stumbling around in the dark.

Silence spread out around the campfire, when they all sated their hunger, silently chewing on their food, but it didn't last for too long. 

Gulping down his last bite, Jeongin scrambled to his feet, only to make two steps in Chan's direction and plop down beside the startled blond again.

“Channie-hyung, can you tell us a story?”, he pleaded grinningly, when Chan threw him a confused look.

Rolling his eyes, Woojin shook his head at the youngest.

“Innie, he is tired, let him eat in peace and get some...”, the oldest started to scold Jeongin, but was interrupted by Chan's slightly rough sounding voice.

“What kind of story?”

Sticking his tongue out mockingly into Woojin's direction, Jeongin smiled victoriously.  
  
The older only groaned in mock despair.

“About something that once left a very big impression on you!”

Minho couldn't help but snort at the youngest's words.  
  
As always, Jeongin's story-request was painfully specific.

Chan, though, didn't seem to mind it.   
The first calm expression ever since this morning spread over his tense features, and he nodded slightly.

“Okay,”, he mumbled,  
“I know one!” 

Smiling at Jeongin, he tilted his head a bit to the side. 

“Have you ever heard of the sea?”

“Of course we have, we all learned about it at school!”, Seungmin cut in dryly, but Minho could hear in the slight tilt within the healer's tone, that he was curious about Chan's story as well. 

Not letting Seungmin's comment bother him, Chan hummed.

“True!”, he replied nonchalantly, before his eyes narrowed a bit.  
“But have you ever _seen_ it?”

Not even Seungmin could respond to that question.  
Minho knew, that none of them had ever been to the edge of their land.  
Sure, he had seen some pictures of the ocean, but pictures sadly remained pictures.

Once again, Chan smiled softly. 

“Well, I have seen it!”, he then stated, eliciting a few gasps out of his listeners.  
“Me and Changbin have seen it, and believe me, when I tell you, it's breathtaking!”

“What does it look like?”, Jeongin cut it impatiently.  
The youngest's eyes were widened because he was so absorbed in the story.  
“Is it really just water?”

Changbin giggled softly from beside Felix and Minho almost expected the omega to interrupt Chan again to add something, but apparently, Changbin had decided to leave the story-telling to his leader for now.

Chan nodded. 

“It's wide and endless, a huge field of pure water. Deep and grey!”, he explained, his tone solemn.  
  
“And it can change it's face within minutes! Once it's calm and careful, then, within one moment, it turns into raging waves of deadly power, ready to crush you if you dare to come too close to it!”

Jeongin's mouth was hanging open, and Minho had to work hard to suppress a snort, when he saw Woojin's jaw going slightly slack as well.  
  
Although he couldn't really blame his best friend, since he himself was mesmerized by Chan's narrations. 

Sure, he had learned about the sea within school, about the enormous masses of water surrounding them, but out of Chan's mouth, it sounded so much more...magical.

“But wasn't the water polluted during the great war?”, Seungmin asked, now any kind of snark having left his voice.  
The usual know-it-all was just as wide-eyed as all of them. 

Save for Hyunjin, who seemed to have heard the story already, probably during prior story-times of the other pack.

“Yes, the sea got polluted, but since it's so unbelievably big, you can still take a bath within it without having to fear anything!”, Chan replied warmly.  
“As long as you don't drink it. Although I would never recommend that, polluted or not!”

“Why shouldn't we drink it?” 

Felix cocked his head to the side, almost knocking it against Minho, who was able to dodge his friend's involuntary attack just barely.

This time, Changbin did speak up. 

“Because it tastes absolutely disgusting!”, the short omega answered with a grimace.  
“Trust me, you don't wanna drink that?”

Grinning, Minho leaned forward a bit to be able to look at Changbin properly. 

“Oh, how do you know?”, he asked the shorter mockingly.  
“You tried it out?”

Staring up to him with a slight pout, Changbin grumbled. 

“So what if I have?”, he shot back, making both, Felix and Minho laugh. 

Chan grinned as well. Though the gesture still looked drained, a hint of amusement was tied to it as well.

“Yeah, he tried it!”, he confirmed Minho's theory.  
“A bit more than necessary, if you ask me!”

Glaring at his leader, Changbin huffed. 

“Shut up!”, he sulked.  
“You weren't any better!”

“At least I knew not to take a breath under water!”, Chan mocked, earning himself an offended gasp from Changbin.

“I almost died back then, have some sympathy!”, the omega whined, this time making the whole group laugh, even Seungmin giggling along.

“No, but seriously,”, Chan went on, as soon as the group had calmed down again.  
“The water is really weird. It tastes like millions of tears!”

Frowning, Jeongin reached out for an old chestnut, that had found it's way into the middle of their circle and tossed it into the fire, the flickering flames devouring it instantly.

“Tears?”, he repeated questioningly.  
“Why?”

Chan gave a short shrug. 

“Dunno!”, he mumbled.

“Actually,”, Seungmin suddenly spoke up, eyes narrowed in thought. “The ocean is like Hyunjin!”

Choking on his bite of food, the tall alpha beside him, turned around to the healer with big eyes.

“What?”, he croaked out hoarsely, another cough ripping any other words away from his lips.

Completely unfazed, Seungmin picked a piece of meat of his own stick. 

“Think about it!”, he ordered casually.  
“You can be so calm and friendly, endless and deep, yet you could defend everything that's yours, if needed.”

Getting the reference, Minho snorted. 

“True!”, he snickered.  
“Back during our fighting practice, I really saw my life flash past my eyes for a moment!”

Blushing in obvious embarrassment, Hyunjin averted his dark eyes.

“I'm sorry!”, he whined.  
“I just thought, you had hurt Sungie!”

The tall boy's shy behavior was so entirely like Hyunjin, that Minho couldn't help but smile.

“Don't worry, I would have done the same!”, he reassured the other alpha, who only nodded sheepishly, seemingly eager to get the attention to shift away from him again, but Changbin apparently had other plans.

“You should have seen him back then, when someone made fun of Jisung's talking!”, the short omega added wide-eyed.  
“ _I_ was scared of him and I wasn't even in the line of his anger!”

Cringing, Hyunjin grimaced slightly. 

“Binnie, please...!”, the tall boy started, but got interrupted by Felix.

“Jisung's talking?”, the freckled alpha cut in in confusion.  
“What was wrong with that?”

Chan sighed.

“Those were interesting times!”, he commented dryly.  
  
“Sungie couldn't speak properly, when he first joined us, since he grew up out here! He had to learn a lot of words from us that were simply unfamiliar to him because his pack had never used them before, or at least not regularly enough!”

Raising his brows in surprise, Minho had to admit, that he hadn't expected that. After all, he had never heard the omega search for words or become speechless.  
Actually, if he thought about it properly, it was rather, that Jisung never shut up at all.

Well, except for now! 

Throwing another glance back at the still sleeping boy behind him, Minho sighed inaudibly.  
  
He had never thought, he would ever actually say something along the lines of this, but he somehow really missed the omega's voice within the little circle of theirs. 

Jisung was something like the mood-maker among them and now, that their conversation was void of the boy's comments, it sounded a little emptier than usually.

“Well, you guys should see Felix when he's pissed!”, Seungmin suddenly chimed in again with a slight giggle.  
“Remember that one time, when this stranger dared to touch his hair?”

Snickering, Minho nodded.  
He could still recall that day very clearly, when some random stranger they had met had tried to touch the freckled boy's orange strands. 

It hadn't been the man's wisest decision, to express it carefully.

“Geez, I never saw him snap so hard!”, Jeongin grinned as well.  
“Sweet friendly Felix suddenly getting so violent!”

Groaning, Felix threw his head back and this time, it was Changbin's turn to dodge the alpha's skull.

“Guys, seriously!”, the orange-head complained.  
“You make it sound as if I beat that guy up!”

Grinning devilishly, Seungmin pointed his by now empty stick at Felix. 

“You didn't, that's not like you!”, he admitted.  
“But your grip on that poor guy's wrist was tight enough to leave a bruise, trust me!”

Staring up to the alpha with wide eyes, Changbin snorted. 

“Really, Lix?”, he asked jokingly.  
“I didn't picture you as the violent type!”

Letting go of the shorter boy's shoulders to hold his hands up defensively, Felix whined. 

“I'm not, I swear!”, he insisted, making Woojin laugh as well as Seungmin and Jeongin, even Hyunjin giggling along, now that he wasn't the center of attention anymore.

“You're not the only one, Lixie!”, Woojin assured after taking a breath.  
“Remember when Min thought, the three women we met at the stream back then wanted to kidnap Seungmin!”

Minho felt a scowl appear on his own face, just as Felix burst out laughing.

“That was hilarious!”, the freckled boy wheezed between fits of laughter.  
“I've never seen a human being run faster than they did, in my life! They looked as if the devil was right at their heels!”

“How was I supposed to know, that they simply wanted to show him something!”, Minho defended himself sulkily. 

Back then, all he had seen in the dark was Seungmin trying to resist the three women trying to drag him along, away from their group. And his inner wolf simply had reacted immediately.  
  
Which might have been a _little_ bit over-the-top...

Snorting as well, Seungmin shook his head. 

“I would have screamed, you know!”, he added dryly, making Minho roll his eyes.

“Better be safe than sorry!”, he barked at the healer, who only giggled in response.  
__________

Their conversation went on, getting filled with more and more short stories out of their respective lives.   
  
Minho heard about the time, Jisung got his foot stuck within a rabbit hole – which didn't surprise him in the least – and about the time, Chan got lost on his short evening stroll – which probably shouldn't have surprised Minho, since he already knew of the blond's bad sense of direction, but it caught him off guard and made him facepalm nonetheless. 

In return, Minho told the other pack about the time Woojin and Felix had almost knocked themselves out in the attempt to protect Jeongin from a few birds, that had surprisingly shown interest in them, and was proud, when he actually managed to tickle a laugh out of Chan with that story.

But the longer the evening went on, turning into night, the harder it became for Minho to keep his eyes open.  
  
His body felt heavy and immobile and all he wanted to do, was curl up under a blanket, preferably pressed up against Felix or Jeongin, and sleep for a few months.

Woojin seemed to notice the growing fatigue on all of their faces as well, because he finally spoke up again.

“We still need guards for tonight, guys!”, he reminded softly, his voice indicating very clearly, how repelled he was by the fact, that he had to force a few of them to sacrifice parts of their sleep.

To his surprise, Minho saw Chan's arm shoot up almost immediately.

“I'll take over first watch!”, the blond announced determinedly.  
“I'm not ready to sleep yet anyways!” 

Scoffing, Woojin furrowed his brows in disapproval.

“Chan, you were close to collapsing before, due to your exhaustion!”, he reminded in concern.  
“Do you really think, it is such a good idea to push your body even further? You need to rest!”

The oldest's argument was plausible and Minho found himself nodding along to his friend's words, but Chan only pressed his lips together tightly.

“I need some more time to settle my thoughts!”, the blond replied quietly, his tone not giving Woojin any more room to ague.

Giving a reluctant hum, Woojin looked around the rest of their group, when suddenly, his gaze got stuck at Seungmin. 

Minho could practically see the lightbulp over his friend's head ignite.

“Seungmin can join you, right, Minnie?”, the oldest proposed, though Minho wasn't too sure, whether that hadn't actually been a hidden order. 

He knew, what Woojin was doing.  
Seungmin had been the only one to voice actual criticism at what Chan had done back then, and now, Woojin was trying to get the two of them - the blond and his brother - to talk it out.

“Sure, I'm not that tired yet!”, Seungmin agreed casually.  
  
He didn't sound repulsed to be on the same watch as Chan, so Minho deemed that a good sign. 

Maybe, Seungmin had already accepted Chan's actions.

“I can go for second watch!”, Woojin offered, moving on.  
“Is anyone with me?”

Not hesitating, Hyunjin raised his hand. 

“I can join you, hyung!”, the tall alpha replied with a soft smile, Woojin returning the gesture with a nod.

“Thanks, Jinnie!”, he mumbled in the younger's direction, before eyeing the whole group again.  
“Anyone up for third watch?”

Yawning, Changbin sat up, stretching his limbs a bit before nudging Felix in the side. 

“Lix, do third watch with me!”, the omega coaxed the freckled boy, poking the alpha again. 

Squirming away a bit, Felix groaned. 

“But that's so early!”, he complained, yelping, when a particularly hard poke landed right beneath his ribs.

Grinning, Hyunjin shook his head at Felix.

“Forget it, Lix, he's not gonna let you off the hook!”, he giggled, Felix only huffing in response, as he tried to avoid as many of Changbin's attacks as possibly.  
But eventually, Minho could watch the resistance fade from his gaze.

“Fine!”, the orange-head grumbled, plastering a beaming grin on Changbin's features.  
“But you have to wake me up!”

Minho actually saw Changbin gulp at that, but nonetheless, the omega nodded eagerly.

“Great, then it's settled!” 

Stretching his arms a bit as well, Woojin stood up before starting to store the leftover meat away within their basket.  
  
Immediately moving to help him, Chan went to collect their sticks, bringing them over to the shelf on the side of the room as well, where Woojin sat down the basket. 

Minho noticed the two leaders exchange a few words and normally, he would probably have tried to eavesdrop, but right now, he felt way too tired for that.  
Especially, since he assumed that Woojin was simply telling Chan to take care of himself like the caring mother his friend always appeared as.

Stifling a yawn behind a hand, Minho, too, forced his body to get up as well. He was about to walk over to his group's resting place, when suddenly a strong tug within him made him halt his movements. 

Turning around, his gaze set back on Jisung's form, the omega still not having moved. 

Minho wasn't sure, why, but for some reason, something within him was everything but delighted at the idea of sleeping away from the omega. 

Normally, he probably would have ignored his inner wolf, would have waved it off as stupid sentimentality, would have withstood his inner urge. 

But tonight he was exhausted and sick of having to justify his actions in front of himself.  
He just wanted to sleep, wanted to finally get some rest and to not be alone.

And so he simply spread his sheet out beside Jisung, making sure, the omega was on the warmer side, towards the fire, and lied down. 

A part of him was a little insecure, about whether Hyunjin and Changbin would accept him on their side, beside their pack-mate.  
  
But the other part was determined not to move from his new spot. He had to stay at Jisung's side!

His worries dissolved as soon as Hyunjin and Changbin approached him with Felix right behind them. 

Sending him a soft smile, Hyunjin lowered himself on his own sheet, head right against Jisung's. Not a second later, Changbin and Felix found their respective spots beside the tall boy, Changbin ending up sandwiched between the two alphas. 

Though, Minho was pretty sure, that the short boy could imagine himself within less comfortable positions.

Almost getting startled, when suddenly, a warm body wriggled itself into his embrace, Minho couldn't help but smile as Jeongin's scent reached his nose.  
  
The younger alpha hummed contently into Minho's arm. 

Just, when Minho was about to close his eyes, a dark shadow fell over him and Jeongin, making him look up one more time, just to see Woojin place his own sheet beside the two of them.  
  
Only moments later, his best friend cuddled up to them as well, his hand shortly reaching out to ruffle, first Jeongin's, then Minho's hair.

Minho grumbled in weak protest, but he was honestly too tired to really care.  
  
And he had to admit, the feeling of Woojin's fingers against his scalp wasn't unpleasant. 

He reached out one last time, just to let his fingers brush over Jisung's colder ones, before he finally closed his eyes fully, giving in to his fatigue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it?  
> This is only half of the original chapter 29, but i decided to split it, since it was so Long. The second part will follow tomorrow then with a lot of angst from Channie's and Jisung's side...;)
> 
> Also, i'm now gonna post a very short extra Scene in the second part of this series. It's just a short Scene out of Channie's Point of few, and it's not needed to understand the main Story, but maybe some of you wanna read it nonetheless...It also includes some slight Woochan, soooo...;)
> 
> Btw, there will be some Minsung in the next chapter, but it's gonna be very soft and timid. Reason for that is, that I'm not entirely comfortable with writing about relationships due to my sexuality and it's quite some work for me to write stuff like that. 
> 
> I'm getting better and it's becoming more pleasant for me to write about it, but please have some Patience with me.
> 
> The most interactions will probably be on the woochan front for now, but there will be extra Scenes about minsung to let the ship sail...Those are already written down and are waiting in my documents for me to post them once the time is right, so no writers block can prevent me from giving them to you;D
> 
> Stay save, guys!


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!  
> GRAPHIC DISPLAY OF A PANIC ATTACK/PTSD
> 
> If you are triggered by blood; Panic attacks; PTSD; etc., you should not read this chapter!!
> 
> Also includes: HEAVY ANGST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here you go, the second part of the chapter!
> 
> It’s a lot of angst, some Woochan and some minsung.
> 
> Also, Woojin is an awesome older brother, Chan let’s go of his precious control for once, this whole book is somehow about warmth, and the phrase „no more lying“ gets used too often, but who cares?;)
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

There was a fire burning, right beneath Chan's skin, and he felt ready to explode at any second. 

One part of him was unbelievably thankful.  
Thankful, that they all didn't hate him.  
Thankful, that they didn't think of him as a monster.  
Thankful, that they seemed to understand what he had done. 

But the other part was inconsolable! 

Why weren't they mad? Why weren't they completely disgusted? 

He had killed someone, for heavens sake!  
That wasn't just an accidental punch in the heat of a fight or a disagreement of opinions! 

No, this was way more serious, and Chan felt sick with how easily everyone had accepted his past decision. 

Again and again, he could hear Woojin's words echo within his mind.

_I don't care!_

Well, he should care!  
Woojin should care the same way, Seungmin did.

_What less of a monster are you, if you do the same thing, he did!_

Seungmin had been the only one to understand it! That what Chan had done, was horrible, gruesome even.

Chan couldn't help but wonder, if all of them had been friends with Keir, instead of him, whether they would have looked over that man's actions as well.  
If they would have found an excuse for what Keir had done, too.

And that thought sickened him!

His legs resembled two blocks of stone, as he dragged his body up the stairs towards the platform, Seungmin's light steps sounding from right behind him. 

Of course, Chan knew, what kind of intentions Woojin had had to sent the healer with him.  
  
The oldest wanted Chan and Seungmin to make up, to force his little brother to figure out his feelings towards Chan.  
But the blond didn't want Seungmin to forgive him.

Chan didn’t deserve forgiveness.  


When they finally reached the roof, a cold wind welcomed them with freezing arms, letting its fingers tug on their hair and make them shiver.  
  
Feeling his skin start to form goosebumps immediately, Chan pulled his sweater tighter around his form, as he stepped out into the darkness of the night.  
  
Nonetheless, he was grateful for the low temperatures, as they kept him awake and alert enough to manage another night without sleep. 

His eyelids were just as heavy as the rest of his body felt, but the thought of closing them was incredibly repulsing to Chan.  
If he was honest, he never wanted to sleep ever again. 

Dreams could be scary sometimes, as well as rest.  
Because once the body was charged enough, that it had time for different things than just simple survival, it got creative. 

And Chan was horrified of the thoughts, that would haunt him again, once he would power his body back up. 

At dinner, he hadn't been able to eat as much as usually and now, that he felt the slight burn within his stomach and the down-dragging numbness of his brain, he was pleased to know, that his mind certainly wouldn't be able to come up with any stupid nightmares for now.

Despite his exhaustion, however, his irritation was still searing hot through his veins, as he eyed the dark clearing beneath them.

The voices just didn’t seem to burn themselves out.  


“Chan, let's talk!”

Seungmin's tone was direct and didn't leave him any room to argue.  
Chan would have been too tired for that anyways, so he simply turned around, directing his gaze at the healer. 

Seungmin had slipped on a hoodie of his brother, before he had followed Chan up here, and the big clothing made him look way smaller than normally, the dark texture moving within the irregular gushes of wind, that already were about to turn Chan's ears into ice-blocks.

“You are angry!”

It wasn't a question, but a statement, and Chan wasn't entirely sure of how to respond.  
He was angry. Was he angry?   
Partly, maybe. Kind of. But at whom?

He settled for a vague shrug of his shoulders. 

Sighing, Seungmin leaned against the railing behind him, throwing a quick look down, before he focused back on Chan.  
The blond felt as if thousands of ants were crawling around in his skin by now.  
He resisted the urge to shudder.

“Chan-hyung, please talk to me!”, Seungmin finally pleaded, and that was, when Chan couldn't control his rage anymore. 

Seungmin was using honorifics again, for someone like him, and Chan wasn’t worthy of that. 

“Why are you doing this?”, he spat out.   
Seungmin's surprised expression he did his best to ignore.  
  
“Why do you act like nothing happened? You hated me for what I did at first! So what changed within the last hour?”

By now, Seungmin appeared rather calm again, only observing him with neutral eyes.  
It let Chan feel anxious and desperate at the same time, especially, when the healer took his time to respond.

“Hyung, don't get me wrong, I don't approve of what you did!”, Seungmin finally answered quietly, his arms crossing in front of his chest.  
His sleeves were a bit too long and covered almost his entire hands as well.

“Killing someone is never right, if you ask me. Violence is always wrong!” 

He sighed. 

“And I guess, for me it's even worse, because I have dedicated my life to healing. But that doesn't mean, I hate you as a person!”

The healer lifted his chin a bit, as he held Chan's gaze. 

“I will need some time, until I will be able to look at you again, the same way I pictured you before I found out about what you did!”, he admitted.  
  
“But I can't judge you for saving Jisung from that guy! And I can't judge you for saving your own life back then!”

Chan's knees were about to buckle beneath him, and he quickly grabbed the railing for support.  
He felt so very weak and helpless in the face of Seungmin's arguments and at the same time, they riled him up even more. 

His body was almost desperate for any kind of punishment, any kind of rejection.  
  
Of course, he didn't really want that, but he felt unable to move on with the knowledge, that Zillah had killed herself because of him and no one would make him face any kind of consequences for that. 

He was guilty of her death as well!

“Why do you guys keep saying that?”, he whispered, his vocal chords too spent by now to create a proper tone.  
“Why do you keep saying, you can't judge me for that? Wouldn't you have judged him as well. Him, who did this to Jisung and Nesrin?”

Calmly shaking his head, Seungmin frowned a little. 

“His actions are not comparable to your own!”, the healer answered with determination filling his voice.  
“He acted out of selfishness and perversion! You acted out of protection!”

“And anger!”, Chan added.   
His voice bordered on a pathetic whine by now.  
Disgust bubbling up within his chest, Chan scoffed at himself. 

Nonetheless he didn’t manage to erase the emotional edge from his tone.  


“And this anger, this hate, of mine I s what led to Zillah suffering and dying!”

Seungmin abruptly pushed himself off the railing and crossed the platform to walk towards Chan slowly, until he was standing right in front of the blond.  
It visualized, how much taller Seungmin actually was, when Chan had to raise his head just a bit to be able to look the other in the eyes.

“You know, Chan,”, Seungmin mumbled quietly.  
“I think, you have to make peace with the fact that you are the villain in someone else's life, even if for yourself, you had to do what you did. For Jisung!” 

Seungmin smiled softly. 

“You just don't get to tell them how to narrate their own story, after all!”

Not knowing of how to answer to such wise sounding words, Chan opened his mouth a few times, only to close it again right after. 

Seungmin was right.  
Chan still was determined, that he had done the right thing for him and Jisung after all. He couldn't have lived on, knowing, that Keir was still out there somewhere. 

But to Zillah, that always would have made him the villain and there was absolutely nothing that could have made her forgive him.  
So now he had to carry the weight of the consequences of his decision. 

Even if that meant the guilt of two deaths were on his shoulders. 

“Now, once you have realized that, please get your ass downstairs and sent Jeongin up here, because you look about to faint!”

Seungmin clicked his tongue in obvious disapproval, but Chan shook his head vehemently, even before his tired brain could think the healer's suggestion over.  
He didn't want to sleep. 

Although the ants had disappeared from his skin, he could still feel this coiled up ball of uneasiness, anger and pain boil within his guts and he wasn't ready to give his brain a free-pass to wreck him, once he was left alone with his thoughts. 

Rather stay up for the rest of the night! 

So he ignored Seungmin's exasperated eye-roll and went back to watching the clearing once again.

Not without turning towards Seungmin one more time though.

“Thanks, Minnie!”

A short silence followed, before Seungmin grumbled a barely audible “Your welcome!”, back.  
_____

When their shift ended, Chan was ready to drop dead to the floor and never get up again. 

At this point, he actually considered waking up Changbin to ask him to knock him out for real, just so he wouldn't dream, but although his body certainly was at its limit, his mind was still not shutting up.

The knot had remained within his stomach and it refused to go away, making him flinch from time to time, when the churning feeling got stronger.

So, when Seungmin threw him a questioning glance, as to why he wasn't making any attempts in following the healer down the stairs, Chan only shook his head.

“Hyunjin needs the rest!”, he tried to use as an excuse, only to be met with Seungmin's unforgiving scowl.

“Don't fuck with me, Hyung!”, the omega snapped as he walked the three steps, he already had descended, back up to tower over Chan.  
“Tell me some bullshit one more time, and I swear to the heavens, I will shove it up your own ass!”

Taken aback by the healer's crude words, Chan stumbled backwards a few steps.

Scoffing, Seungmin shook his head one more time, eyes still set aflame.  
They were so unbelievably similar to Woojin's for a second, that Chan had to blink twice to remind himself, whom he was talking to at the moment.

“You can load all your worries on my shoulders, can tell me your darkest secrets and call me names as much as you want, as long as that is what you feel!”, Seungmin announced sharply.  
“But don't ever lie to me again! I can't stand it!”

Feeling his shock morph into understanding, Chan couldn't stop himself from stepping forward. 

Although the itch within him devoured the anger, that was being directed at him, like a starving animal, he wrapped his arms around Seungmin's form and held the boy tightly, one hand going up to card through the younger's hair soothingly. 

Seungmin was right - again! 

Lying was absolute bullshit!  
Chan hated it as well and he knew that sick, disappointed feeling within your chest whenever someone lied to you.  
Nothing he wanted to bestow others with.

“I'm sorry, Minnie!”, he therefore whispered gently.  
“That was awful of me, I promise I won't do it again! No more lying, yeah?”

“Yes please!”, Seungmin grumbled back, face buried within his shoulder and Chan couldn't help but laugh lightly.

Stepping back out of the embrace, Seungmin cocked his head to the side a bit, as he watched Chan again.

“Now please tell me honestly, why the fuck you won't go to sleep!”, the healer ordered firmly, arms back to crossing over his chest. 

“Language!”, Chan chastised jokingly, before he sighed, letting his shoulders sag a bit. 

“I can't!”, he explained weakly.  
“I feel on edge and don't want to close my eyes, feel like I want to never have to go to sleep again, even though my whole body is screaming for it!”

Frowning, Seungmin nodded. 

“During Summer, I would try to find some lavender or opium poppy or something. That would probably calm you down, but right now...”  
The healer trailed off, not having to end his sentence fore Chan to know the meaning. 

He shook his head.

He didn‘t deserve that anyways.

“Don't worry, at some point, I'll collapse either way!”, he tried to joke, but his words were scarily close to the truth. 

And if he went on like this, Chan was pretty sure it would only take him a few more minutes to reach said point.

“Alright, I'll sent Woojin up!”, Seungmin finally gave in with a sigh.  
“Maybe he will be able to talk some sense into you. And additionally, he will be able to actually carry you down the stairs, if you do faint, so...”

A ray of energy rushed through Chan and he forced his drooping eyelids open again, glaring at the smirking healer. 

“There won't be any need to carry me!”, he hissed with burning ears, their newfound heat causing them to start tingling in the cold.  
Although by now Chan wasn't entirely sure, whether his statement was true or not. 

Seungmin simply waved him off and disappeared down the stairs, his scent vanishing with him. 

Now, that Chan had nothing else to focus on, he felt himself getting dizzy again.  
  
His head was one big spinning mass, unable to form proper thoughts anymore, and a part of him felt grateful for that. 

This way, at least the voices weren't as persistant any more and most of their sentences got lost on their way to the front of his conscience. 

Which didn't mean, that they kept quiet, but it was some kind of win nonetheless.

But when Chan tried to turn towards the railing again, to continue his watch, the floor suddenly started shifting under him, turning, until it was to his right and knocked against his head forcefully.  
The blow was enough to make Chan realize, that he had just lost his balance. 

His entire body was screaming for him to just stay down and close his eyes, but he forbid himself from doing so.  
Sleep was a sweet, sweet trap, set out for him to ran straight into, and to swallow him whole. 

He wasn't ready to die yet despite everything! 

Groaning, he concentrated all of his leftover energy into his limbs and pushed himself to all fours again.  
The side of his head was throbbing and he felt his labored pulse beating within his temples. 

Reaching out and finally getting a hold of the railing, Chan pulled himself up again, panting even from such a small task. 

His vision was still blurry and spinning, but eventually, he managed to steady his posture, exhaling deeply, as he tried to order his thoughts, tried to cut through the fog within his head. 

Heavens, he was so tired!  
When was the last time he slept? Two days ago? Three?  
The whole week hadn't really contained that much sleep for him.

“Chan, hey, are you okay?”

Woojin's concerned voice cut though the silence of the night, and Chan tried to force his gaze to focus again.

“Yeah, Chan- I'm fine!”, he replied, slurring his words a bit and only barely catching himself from talking in third person.  
Screw his stupid habit!

When he walked over to Chan to steady him a bit, Woojin's face got a little clearer through Chan's eyes.

“You don't look okay, though!”, the oldest commented dryly, as he pressed on Chan's shoulder. 

The blond felt his knees give in immediately, like the traitors that they were, and he found himself in a sitting position on the floor, Woojin crouching in front of him with a worried expression on his face. 

The oldest's hair was sticking up a bit, probably from his previous slumber and Chan maybe would have lifted his hand to card it back down, if only his body would have listened to him.

“Channie, please go to sleep!”, Woojin pleaded softly.  
His brown eyes held so much warmth, that Chan wasn't sure how to handle that much kindness. 

“You need to rest! You can't escape your fear forever! At some point, you will have to face it, whether you want to or not!”

Chan wanted to flash Woojin a reassuring smile in return for the older's concern, but even the corners of his mouth felt tired.  
How helpless the body could get once he was denied such a simple thing as sleep!

“I don't want to sleep!”, Chan managed to answer, hoping his words weren't completely incoherent.  
“I can't close my eyes!” 

He shivered slightly.  
The cold floor beneath him wasn't helping him get warmer at all.  
By now, his hands and feet had gone numb, whether from the cold or his exhaustion, Chan didn't know.

Noticing his state, Woojin stood back up and grabbed Chan's hands to pull him into a standing position as well. 

Feeling himself being about to loose his balance again, Chan couldn't help the instinct to claw at Woojin's arm for a second, but luckily, the older caught him at his elbow.

“Fine, stay here then, but we gotta get Hyunjin, too. You are in no condition to help me watch anymore!”, the alpha ordered firmly.  
“Wait here! I'll get him and a blanket for you, before you freeze to death!”

Just, when Woojin was about to turn away, Chan caught him again with one hand,  
The quick movement almost robbed him of his balance again, but he managed to stay upright.

“Why are you all so nice to me?”, he mumbled quietly. 

He didn't want to ask that, didn't want to annoy Woojin and the others with the topic again and again, but his brain just wouldn't shut up!  
  
Even with the incoherent noise blocking his brain, Chan could still make out the word _'monster'_ that danced around his mind like a persistent fly.

Furrowing his brows, Woojin looked at Chan in slight confusion. 

“Why wouldn't we be nice?”, the alpha asked back.  
“We talked about this, Chan! You are not guilty!”

Actually, Chan felt too tired to snap at Woojin, but the older's comment let irritability spark up within him nonetheless.  
Although it was a very small flame by now

“I am guilty!”, he shot back.  
“You guys just don't want me to be! You don't want to believe, I am bad, because you know a different me and you like that me! Just like Zillah did with Keir!” 

He swallowed heavily. 

“It doesn't make, what I did, any less horrible though! It doesn't change the fact, that I'm not different from him! Why won't you see that”

He didn't expect Woojin to react to his rambling at all, which was why he flinched hard, when the alpha suddenly growled from deep within his chest.  
A dark sound that was filled with warning and that Chan had yet to hear from Woojin

“Don't ever compare us to them ever again!”, the older barked at him, usually calm brown eyes suddenly raging circles of anger. 

“You defended yourself and Jisung, took care of your pack's survival! Keir only chased his own pleasure without respect for others! There is nothing worth comparing!” 

He stepped forward, towering over Chan like Seungmin had done while jabbing the blond in the chest. 

“You can turn it however you want, Chan, but that doesn't change that fact, that you have a group of eight members around you, that think you are worth their respect. So please, grant us that very same respect and stop burying yourself under the idea, that you need to be punished! Your pack needs you! So finally raise your head again and take over your position as their leader once more!”

Never before had Chan been afraid of another person. 

He hadn't been afraid of Keir, when the guy had attacked him and Jisung, he hadn't been afraid of Minho during their first meet and neither had he been afraid of Zillah during the two times she had come for him. 

Chan just wasn't afraid of other people. 

But right now, for some reason, Woojin made him shake in his spot. 

As soon as the older's outburst had arrived, it was over again though, and the alpha leaned back a bit again, his voice much softer now.

“You don't have to carry all responsibilities on your own, Chan!”, he assured gently.  
  
“You don't have to always be strong. No one is invincible! But you can't just stop fighting altogether because of this! We all need you!”

Starting to ruffle his already completely disheveled hair again, Chan's tired brain tried to take in all the words, Woojin had just said.  
And when they finally sank in, he couldn't help but stumble forward again and lean his forehead against the older's shoulder. 

Exhaling deeply, a soft chuckle escaped his lips, that felt painfully chapped, now that Woojin's outbreak had woken him up a bit again.

“Sorry!”, he simply mumbled. 

This was the second time, he had to apologize today and Chan could now proudly say of himself, that he had managed to make both of the friendly brothers - Woojin and Seungmin - snap at him within the span of mere minutes.  
A true accomplishment, really!

Gentle fingers carded through his abused locks.

“No need to apologize! Just don't do it again!” 

Woojin's voice resonated through his chest, causing Chan's head to vibrate a little on the alpha's shoulder.  
To not get dizzy again, he quickly lifted his forehead off the older.

  
And to get rid off the weird fuzzy feeling within his guts.  
  


“I won't!”, he promised, fighting back the spinning of his vision from his prior haste movement.

“Will you go to sleep now?”, Woojin asked in return but the simple thought sent a steady thrum of discomfort through Chan's veins.  
Somehow, the idea of going to sleep was still terrifying, but he guessed, Woojin was right. 

He couldn't run forever.

“Will you do me a favor and knock me out then?”, he asked only half joking. 

He could see the older roll his eyes, but the alpha's answer got cut off, when suddenly, a panting Jeongin bolted onto the platform, causing both of them to turn around in shock.  
  
The youngest alpha was wheezing, while supporting himself on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath again.

“Innie?”, Woojin asked in concern, taking one step in the boy's direction, but Jeongin only waved his hands in dismissal. 

“Too many stairs...!”, he huffed out, before gathering another lungful of air and answering: “It's Jisung! He's having another nightmare!”  
_____

Chan was on his way down the stairs, before Woojin was even able say anything. 

Behind him, he could hear rushed steps, as the dark walls of the halls flew past him as mere shadows, but he didn't slow down to wait for Woojin. 

More than once, Chan lost his balance a bit due to his fatigue, but each time he found support in the walls around him, continuing to half run, half fall down the stairs, until he finally caught sight of the slight orange shine that brightened the end of the staircase, courtesy of the fire within the main hall. 

Rushing to get there as fast as possible, Chan wanted to jump down the last few steps, but unfortunately, his left leg got caught by the ankle of his other foot and all he could do, was curve his body just in time, before his shoulder collided with the hard ground. 

Luckily, thanks to a quick reflex, he was able to roll off, the movement redirecting the biggest part of his momentum.  
Nonetheless, sharp pain shot through his shoulder and his back, making him groan, as he tried to get back onto his feet. 

Everything around him was swaying, as if the world had suddenly become fluid, now melting in front of his eyes. 

_'I really need to rest!'_ , he thought for the umpteenth time this night, as if repeating it over and over again would actually force some sense into his brain.

“Chan, shit, are you okay?” 

Woojin jumped down beside him, his hand steadying Chan on his feet, until his surroundings finally stopped spinning.  
Or at least slowed down enough for him to keep his balance by himself again.

“I'm fine, just kinda tripped!”, Chan gave back, his right hand unconsciously reaching out to massage his other shoulder gently.  
Wincing, he pulled back again.  
  
This would certainly turn into an ugly bruise!

Picking up his pace once more, Chan bolted past Woojin and entered the main hall, immediately crossing it to reach the small group, that had formed around Jisung's resting place. 

Even from further away, he could see Minho and Seungmin try to hold a squirming Jisung down, the omega thrashing wildly in the boys' hold.  
Hyunjin stood beside them, looking lost, as he raised his gaze to meet Chan's.

“Chan-hyung, what are we supposed to do?”, the tall alpha asked helplessly, as soon as Chan reached them, his breath uneven again, although he had done close to nothing.  
The blond didn't miss his friend's concerned gaze, that examined him, but he ignored it, instead focusing on Jisung. 

Seungmin and Minho were still desperately trying to immobilize the omega, who was not yet awake but still caught up within his nightmare.  
  
Chan didn't even want to know what it was about, though he could imagine the rough contents.

“You need to let him go and give him space immediately!”, he ordered, kneeling down beside Minho and gently pulling the alpha off Jisung.

“But if he sits up, his wound will open back up even more!”, Seungmin protested, gesturing to the dark patch that was starting to form under the boy's shirt, right above the place, where he had been injured. 

Flinching, Chan nodded.

“I know!”, he answered through clenched teeth while trying to stay calm and collected, even with his lack of sleep and the view of his friend's blood in front of him.  
“But as long as we try to restrain him, his movements will only get worse!”

Biting his lip, Seungmin finally complied, letting go of Jisung's shoulder and scooted backwards to be out of reach from the omega's flying arms. 

Chan could feel slight resistance within Minho, as he pulled the alpha back as well, while Jisung started whimpering behind him, but he couldn't really hold it against the alpha. 

His own heart was clenching painfully at leaving his friend like this, defenseless and alone, but he knew, it was the only way to get Jisung back out of this dark place the boy currently was at. 

“Wait, are you seriously saying, we just gotta leave him to figure it out on his own?” 

Minho started struggling harder against Chan's grip, trying to free himself.  
Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem, seeing, that Chan was the stronger one out of the two, but he was exhausted beyond wits and his hands seemed unable to hold onto anything for too long. 

Slowly Minho's clothes, which he was clinging to, slipped right through his fingers.  
Luckily, just in that moment, Woojin suddenly showed up beside him, taking Minho from him and soothing his confused best friend with silent whispers.

Hands now free, Chan focused back on Jisung, who had stopped thrashing and was now crying in his sleep, soft sobs falling from the omega's lips.

“Sungie! Sungie can you hear me?”, he called out gently towards the younger.

At first, Jisung didn't show any kind of reaction, but the more often Chan called his friend's name, the more the omega began shifting, his facial muscles twitching.  
When Hyunjin joined him, Jisung's tear-soaked eyelashes finally fluttered open. 

The omega let out a weak gasp, before he slowly seemed to realize, where he was.

“Jisung, can you hear me?”, Chan asked once more, careful to keep his voice as soft as possible.  
“Are you with me?”

A relieved breath escaped him, when Jisung nodded slightly.  
Nonetheless, he asked again.

“Sungie, I need words! Please talk to me!” 

Actually having to form proper sentences always was one of the fastest ways to get Jisung to really come back out of his headspace and into reality.

“Yes, I'm here!”, Jisung croaked out, his voice sounding like stone scratching over a rough surface.  
“Hyung, I'm scared!” 

New tears slipped out of the corners of Jisung's eyes and coated his already glistening cheeks. 

“And it hurts!”

Wetting his own dry lips with his tongue, Chan let his scent seep out a bit in the hopes of calming Jisung a little.

“I know, Sungie!”, he replied gently.  
“What's your color?”

They had invented a color-system for Jisung, to be able to handle the boy's panic attacks better after his nightmares, since during those times they could only get through to him with their voice. 

While coming up with it, Chan had used an old mechanism as inspiration, something he had learned about at some point during his time within the city.  
The device he had copied the color-idea from had been called a street-light, a tri-colored light, that had told people whether they were allowed to move or not within traffic. 

Red meant to stay in ones' place, yellow meant to slow down, green meant to be allowed to move.  
And that was exactly, what those colors meant for them as well.

A broken sob escaped Jisung's throat, but nonetheless, the omega shook his head vehemently. 

“Red! Still red!”, he wept, clearly wanting help but Chan knew, the boy's brain wasn't allowing it.  
So he swallowed his own desire to get closer to his friend and waited.

Minutes passed, during which Chan tried to calm Jisung further by silently talking to him, asking him questions and reassuring him. 

Hyunjin had appeared at his side, now clenching his hand so tightly between his own fingers, that it bordered on painful, but Chan was grateful for everything, that kept him awake and functioning.  
He couldn't afford collapsing now.

After what felt like eternity, and after numerous called out “Red”s from Jisung, the omega finally whispered a soft “Yellow!”, when Chan asked him about his color again.

Sighing in relief, the blond got on all fours and started crawling towards Jisung, leaving Hyunjin behind him, who waited in the sidelines to give the omega more space.

“Sungie, I'm on my way to you, can you look at me?”, Chan softly asked the younger, Jisung only managing a curt nod, as he fixated Chan directly with his glossy eyes, lips still quivering.  
He looked way younger like this with all his usual confidence having vanished, and once again, Chan felt his chest constrict in sympathy. 

During times like this, he would like to be able to kill Keir one more time!

“Hyung, it hurts so much!”, Jisung cried out again, although his voice was still too weak to be considered loud.

Slowly scooting closer to the injured boy, Chan gave a soft hum.

“Am I allowed to touch you, Sungie?”, he asked instead of giving an answer. 

There was fear within the omega's gaze, but nonetheless, the boy nodded. 

“It's okay, I think!”, Jisung gave back tonelessly.  
“Just don't touch my arms, please!”

His arms had always been the most critic spot.  
Arms meant being held down, being immobile, helpless.  
Arms were Jisung's absolute no-go in situations like this.

“Of course not, Sungie! Tell me, if something is not okay, alright!”, Chan agreed, finally reaching the spot beside Jisung, careful not to come in contact with the boy's outspread arms.

“I'm gonna reach out and push your hair out of your face first!”, he announced calmly, waiting for Jisung to whisper his approval of the action, before he actually did so. 

Since Jisung was so scared of not being in control, Chan had started the habit of informing the omega about every single move he made near him, whenever Jisung had another attack.  
It put the younger in control and helped the omega to not panic again or get startled by unexpected movements.

The skin of Jisung's face was hot and slightly damp from the boy's sweat.  
Freeing the omega's sight of any loose strands of hair, Chan pulled his hand back.

“Can I push your shirt up a bit to look at your injury?”, he asked calmly, although knowing, Jisung would probably not be pleased by the idea.  
But despite his worries, the omega nodded again.

“Okay!”, he whispered.  
“But please don't touch my arms!”

Assuring his friend once more, that he wouldn't, Chan carefully reached down and pulled Jisung's blood-soaked shirt up to the omega's chest.  
The boy's rib-cage quivered under a shaky inhale, but aside from that Jisung remained calm.

Inspecting the wound, Chan realized, that he had no idea of how bad it was.  
He needed Seungmin for this!

“Sungie, do you think, it's possible, that Seungminnie get's a little closer to us?”, he carefully asked the injured boy beside him.  
“I would like him to look at your wound and tell me, what we have to do to make it better.”

Starting to shake again, Jisung stared up to Chan with fearful eyes. 

“He won't hurt me?”, he asked warily, but Chan knew, the boy was just trying to reassure himself, not question Seungmin's intentions.

“He won't hurt you! I'm right here with you, after all!”, he therefore simply replied, and Jisung finally hummed reluctantly.

“But no touching my arms!”, the omega reminded again. 

It was his way of coping.  
Repeating again and again, what he didn't want anyone to do.  
What he needed to stay in control.

Not taking his eyes off Jisung, Chan carefully waved Seungmin over, who had been standing somewhere behind him, how he assumed.  
It wasn't like he could have been sure with his limited attention.

“Sungie, it's me, Seungminnie!”, the healer softly called out, mimicking Chan's tone, as he carefully approached Jisung from an angle, where the omega could clearly see him.  
“Is it okay, if I sit down beside you?”

Jisung nodded again. 

“But don't touch my arms!”

Humming, Seungmin slowly lowered himself down beside the omega. 

“I won't!”, he assured, before his gaze trailed down to the omega's wound.  
Chan could see by the twitch of the healer's fingers, that he wanted to treat it immediately, but luckily, Seungmin was smart enough to not just dive right in and kept his hands to himself.

“Sungie, your wound has reopened a bit!”, the healer said instead, addressing Jisung directly again.  
“I need to fix it!”

Grimacing at Seungmin's choice of words, Chan could see Jisung's eyes fill with panic again.

“You need to?”, the omega yelped out, voice higher pitched again, and Chan was quick to interfere, before the boy had another attack.

“Is it okay if Seungminnie cleans your wound?”, he asked, forcing his voice to stay calm and even. 

Phrases, that implied, that Jisung didn't have a choice or couldn't do anything against something, always scared the omega again.

Breath slowing down, Jisung eyed Chan suspiciously. 

“It's my decision?”, he then asked, as if to make sure.

Chan smiled softly. 

“Of course it is, Sungie, it's your body, isn't it?”, he gave back. 

The omega finally relaxed.

“Okay, Seungmin, you can touch my wound now!”, he then informed the healer, who had simply waited for Jisung to calm down again.  
The clear choice of words of the omega let Chan hope, that his friend was slowly but carefully getting fully back out of his headspace.

“Alright, I will dab your wound with this cloth now, okay?”, Seungmin announced calmly, waiting to receive Jisung's approving nod, before he slowly raised the hand, that was holding a clean towel Chan noticed only now.  
He had absolutely no idea, where the healer had gotten it from. Or when.

Gently soaking up the fresh blood covering the stitches, the healer examined the wound, before sighing in relief.  
The sound pulled Chan out of his daze again, and he swiftly shook his head a bit to dispel the fog of fatigue, that had invaded the edges of his vision once more.

“How bad is it?”

Humming dismissively, Seungmin flashed Chan a quick smile as he looked up.

“It's nothing bad, the stitches stayed intact, actually!”, the healer answered lightly.  
“The rough movements just kind of pressed a bit of blood out of the fresh edges of the cut!”

Feeling his shoulders sag, Chan closed his eyes for a moment, as Seungmin started patching up the wound again, immediately regretting that decision though, when he had to forcefully pry them open again only a second later as Jisung's voice reached his ears.

“Channie-hyung?”

Blinking twice to sharpen his gaze again, Chan forced his lifeless lips into a hopefully reassuring looking smile. 

“What is it, Sungie?”

Jisung looked already tired again, even after having slept for so long before.  
Not that Chan could really blame the omega for that.

“My throat feels so dry!” The injured boy rasped out, pleading eyes set on Chan's face, and the blond realized, that Jisung had neither eaten nor drunk anything ever since this morning.

“Do you want some water?”, he therefore asked softly, Jisung immediately nodding.

As if having expected that outcome, Hyunjin all of a sudden practically materialized beside Chan, carrying a bowl filled with fresh, clear liquid.  
Although Chan wasn't too sure, whether the alpha hadn't actually been waiting behind him with the drink for quite some while now and Chan just hadn't noticed him in his numb and seemingly brainless state.

Crouching down with care, Hyunjin slowly extended his right hand in Jisung's direction, while his left held onto the bowl.

“Sungie can you tap my palm?”, the tall alpha asked calmly, holding eye-contact with the omega, who now looked way more attentive, than before.

This was always the last step they made. Getting Jisung to touch them out of his own accord.  
As soon as the omega was able to do that without flinching, the worst of his attack was over and he was back to being more reasonable.

Of course, his emotional state was still sensible then, but it was going in the right direction.

First, only Jisung's fingertips twitched, but eventually, the boy was able to lift his right arm, raising it higher and extending it, until he was able to craze over the skin of Hyunjin's palm.  
Smiling, Hyunjin nodded in approval.

“Good job, Sungie!”, the alpha praised before holding out the bowl to Jisung.  
Only then did Chan realize, that this wouldn't work.

“We need to sit him up!”, he mumbled into Hyunjin's general direction, his eyes catching the alpha's agreeing look.

Focusing back on Jisung, Chan smiled at the younger once more, the boy now eyeing the bowl of water greedily.

“Sungie, will you allow us to sit you up?”, he asked softly, stifling another yawn under his breath by flaring his nostrils.  
“Your wound could get worse, if you put too much pressure on it!”

Straightening his posture on Jisung's other side, Seungmin had just ended his task of patching the omega back up, carefully raising to his feet and leaving them wordlessly, only one last meaningful look thrown in Chan's direction.  
Despite his state, Chan understood, what the healer was trying to tell him. 

To be careful with Jisung's injury.

“How will you do that?” 

The omega's frightened voice got Chan back to concentrate on the previous question he had asked the boy.

“I would wrap my arm around your shoulders and carefully push you up into a sitting position, so that Hyunjin can put the bowl on your lips and let you drink a few sips!”, he calmly explained, purposefully widening his eyes a bit, when he felt them drooping shut again. 

His words sounded weirdly far away and nonconsecutive for some reason.

After a short contemplative phase, Jisung agreed and Chan moved a little closer to the omega, mumbling a short warning, before he snaked his arms under the boy's body and slowly pushed his weight up, bit by bit.

Immediately, Jisung's expression contorted in pain, the omega whimpering at the movement straining on his wound, but at least, he didn't panic at Chan's touch.  
And agony was pretty common after such an injury. 

Chan would know, since he could still clearly remember his own cuts, that still decorated his stomach as faint scars and would stay there for the rest of his life. 

When Chan deemed Jisung in a horizontal enough position, he sent Hyunjin a quick nod and the alpha scooted forward a bit to hold the bowl within his hands up to the omega's mouth.

Seemingly trying to will his pain away, Jisung straightened his features and parted his chapped lips to nip at the clear liquid, getting greedier until he was gulping down the water, swallowing every last drop.

When Hyunjin pulled the bowl away again with a small smile, Jisung's eyelids fluttered shut and the omega let out a deep sigh. 

“Thank goodness, I thought I would dry out!”, he rasped out, now sounding more like his usual self.

Feeling the muscles within his arms starting to strain from the omega's weight, Chan gently lowered Jisung's upper body back down onto the sheets.

“Are you better now?”, he asked softly. 

His words caused his friend's eyes to snap open again.

“No actually, I feel like shit!”, Jisung groaned, but Chan could practically see him forget his own pain, as the omega set his gaze on Chan and concern snuck itself on the younger's face.

“Channie-hyung, you look how I feel!”

Chan wanted to laugh, but he didn't manage more than a simple huffed out breath, even that simple action feeling like way too much effort in his drained state.  
Not meaning for Jisung to worry though, he shook his head.

“I'm fine, Sungie!”, he reassured before gesturing to the bloody patch on the omega's shirt with a small smile.  
“Rather think about yourself first! Seungmin is getting real tired of stitching us back together!”

“And you fucking scared us half to death, Ji!”, Hyunjin chimed in, eyes big and serious.  
“Seriously, never do that again! What if she had actually hit you at a critical point?”

A small smile ghosted over Jisung's lips and the omega's eyes drooped shut again. 

“Couldn't have her hurting Channie again!”, he mumbled almost incoherently, exhaustion obviously overtaking his body again.  
“And since Lino was so ready to sacrifice himself, I couldn't let him beat me at that!”

Hearing Hyunjin groan at the mention of the alpha of the other pack, one of the last ones of Chan's awake brain cells let some sort of notification pop up within his mind.  
He blinked a few times, trying to blend out, how cozy the warmth of the fire behind him felt.

“Speaking of Minho, I think you should talk to him for a moment, before you go back to sleep!”, he said, speech directed at Jisung, the latter stopping to drift off into dreamland and forcing his brown eyes back open. 

Chan threw a glance back towards the alpha in question, who was still tightly secured within Woojin's arms a few meters away from them, so he wouldn't come any closer.

“Is he upset?” 

Jisung's voice sounded small, the omega's eyes filling with fear. 

“Does he know?”

Nodding, Hyunjin reached out and pulled the blanket back up, that was pooling at the injured boy's legs. 

“Everyone knows!”, he answered.  
“Chan-hyung told them!”

Widening his eyes, Jisung stared back at Chan, who felt weirdly exposed under his friend's gaze.  
But then again, he had always somehow had the impression, Jisung was able to look right through him.

“And how did they react?”

Not being able to hold the omega's gaze any longer, Chan lowered his head. 

“They said, they don't judge me for what I did!”, he answered quietly.  
He still felt the discomfort churn inside him because of that, but nonetheless, he tried to focus on Woojin's previous words. 

The others were counting on him. He couldn't drown himself in selfpity and egoistic emotions!

Exhaling audibly, an expression of relief planted itself on Jisung's face, just to immediately morph into determination.

“Alright, you can allow Minho to come here now!”, he let Chan know, who only nodded in understanding. 

Normally, he would have asked Jisung at least three times, whether the boy was sure about that, but Jisung sounded calm and collected, nothing like the panicked boy he had been only minutes ago and on top of that, Chan knew, that Minho had long earned his friend's trust.  
It would be fine.

Therefore, he only let his fingers brush over Jisung's cheek, flashing the boy a soft smile, before he rose to his feet again to walk over towards Woojin and Minho. 

Unfortunately, his body was still as sleep deprived as before and the stressing about Jisung certainly hadn't helped him relax and rest.  
Therefore, when he turned around, the whole world suddenly went pitch-black. 

He couldn't see a single thing anymore, as if he had gone blind and all he could sense, was how his body was fighting for balance, as his arms automatically reached out to hold onto something, that just wasn't there.

 _Shit!_ , was the only thought his wrenched brain could produce, before he felt himself stumble and fall - in which direction, he wasn't sure.

From somewhere he heard a fearful yell of his name and a shocked gasp from another direction.  
Then his palms collided with a cold hard surface, presumably the floor. 

The feeling created a harsh contrast to the heat, that suddenly started prickling on his face and practically scorched his skin.  
  
Despite all those things happening, Chan's vision still hadn't recovered, so all he could do was shuffle backwards a bit to escape the uncomfortable warmth in front of him.

Suddenly, a strong grip wrapped around his left arm and he was pulled backwards with a harsh tug, sending him flopping onto his butt.  
It stung a bit, but at least, the heat finally subsided and Chan was able to breath properly. 

After a few seconds and a lot of blinking, Chan could finally see again.  
Looking up, he was able to make out the three faces of Woojin, Minho and Hyunjin staring down at him with mixed expressions. 

Chan wasn't sure, what he had just done, but meeting Woojin's angry looking frown, he felt the need to apologize.

“Sorry, I got up to fast?”, he tried, but Woojin only scoffed. 

Hyunjin crouched down and carefully placed his hand on Chan's thigh. 

“Chan-hyung, you had almost fallen right into the fireplace!”, the tall alpha explained quietly.  
“That was really close just now!”

“If Hyunjin hadn't pulled you back just in time, this would have ended a lot worse!”, Woojin now finally spat out.  
The oldest squatted down in front of Chan as well, eyes loosing a bit of their previous rage as he looked at Chan in obvious concern.

“I'm sorry, Chan, but I won't watch this any longer!”, he went on, now calmer.  
“You will go to sleep. Now!”

There was a tiny spark of irritation stirring in Chan's chest at the order, but on the other hand, a part of him could only muster up relief at Woojin's words.  
He still felt scared at the thought of closing his eyes, but despite that, he was about ready to pass out by now. 

He was ready to let Woojin take over control for today.

Apparently, Woojin hadn't expected him to agree, because when Chan simply nodded in defeat, the older boy gaped at him in surprise.

“That was easier than I thought!”, Chan could hear the alpha mutter before a big hand extended itself towards him.  
Gratefully grabbing it, the blond let himself get pulled up by Woojin's strength. 

Again, black shadows danced along the borders of his vision, but this time, Woojin supported him, not letting go of his arm even for a second.

Accepting Woojin's help, Chan turned towards Minho, who was still wordlessly standing behind the oldest, glancing towards Jisung's resting place from time to time. 

“Minho, if Jisung hasn't fallen asleep again, he is waiting for you to talk to him for a moment!”, he informed the dark haired boy, who turned towards him upon the words with round eyes that were so unlike is usual cat-like gaze.

“He will let me come closer?”

This time, Chan couldn't help but smile, although right after, his lips felt weirdly tired.  
Well, similar to the entire rest of his body.

“You saved his ass, he took a knife for you...I think you guys are past the stage of distrust!”, he joked, although half serious.  
It surely wasn't common anymore, that Jisung trusted others – especially so close after his attacks - so Minho was indeed special.  
But even in his eyes, the alpha had earned that trust.

“Come on, go, or he won't be awake anymore!”, Woojin, too, assured his friend, and the alpha nodded, scrambling off towards the injured omega.

Hyunjin gave a low chuckle. 

“Guess, I'm gonna go help Minnie, then, if everyone else is taken care of!”, the alpha quietly mumbled while staring after Minho, who had already crouched down beside Jisung.  
Turning back to them, the tall alpha questioningly looked past Chan, over to Woojin. 

“Will you be able to handle him?”, the boy asked, and Chan knew, Hyunjin was talking about him. 

Normally he would have chimed in somehow, but right now, he didn't care anymore.  
Hyunjin apparently had noticed Chan handing over control to Woojin just now.  
The tall alpha always picked up on things like that, just like he easily noticed Changbin's shift in behavior, whenever the buff boy had a needy day.

“Sure, no problem, just go and help Minnie”, Woojin's warm voice gave back.  
“I'll see you for our watch in a few!”

Nodding, Hyunjin let his finger's brush over Chan's shoulder one last time, the blond feeling himself relax at the touch, before the alpha disappeared out of Chan's line of vision and left him in Woojin's care.

“Alright, let's get you settled, too!” 

Smiling, Woojin lightly tapped onto Chan's arm. 

“I'm pretty sure, that by now, you won't have the energy to even dream properly!”

For some reason, that statement dispelled Chan's anxiety a bit.  
It was true! He could already feel his eyelids droop shut again, his head tilting to the side a bit from fatigue.  
The only thing still grounding him was the warmth of Woojin's hand on his arm, keeping him upright.

“Probably true!”, he agreed, his numb tongue slurring his words again.  
“Channie's really tired!”

There it was again, his ridiculous habit.  
This time, he wasn't able to prevent himself from showing it, but by now, he really was too far gone to care. 

And if he was honest, he trusted Woojin.

Now, that all secrets were out in the open, there was nothing left for him to protect, nothing left to hide.  
It felt good, if he was honest. A very calm feeling within his chest, so different from the usual uncomfortable flutter he had witnessed inside him during the time they had been on the run.

This pack, that had found them, those five boys, that had helped and welcomed them...he trusted them.  
And it felt unbelievably reassuring to finally be able to trust others again.  
To not be alone any longer.

“Channie, I'm talking to you!”

Woojin's voice snapped him back into reality, jolting Chan upright from the slumped position he had started to shrink into.

“I'm awake, I'm awake!”, he mumbled but keeping his eyes closed.  
His lashes simply were too heavy to lift them even just one more time.

“Yeah, sure you are!” Chan could hear Woojin laugh.  
A warm arm wrapped around his waist with calm determination. It steadied him and Chan felt himself leaning into the touch.  
  
Into Woojin's warmth. 

It was almost like Hyunjin's but for some reason, it felt even stronger. Unwavering like a solid rock within the surge of crashing waves.  
Along with the older's strong scent, Chan felt weirdly save. Like Woojin was blocking off the outside world, shielding hims from any problems. 

Here, leaned against Woojin, Chan didn't feel like a monster.  
For once, the voices inside of him had shut up from shouting at him.

When Woojin started pushing him into a certain direction Chan obliged without protest, his limp legs starting to stumble along.  
After a few steps, Woojin's body halted again, forcing Chan to a stop as well.

“Well, I hope you guys are done, cause Channie needs to sleep now!”, the blond heard Woojin say. 

A part of him wanted to chime in, only to let them know, that he wasn't five, for heavens sake, he was an adult and could get himself to bed on his own, but the exhaustion kept him quiet.

And the sated feeling filling his heart at the words, silently whispering to him about how good it felt to be able to let himself go for once.  
He could always complain in the morning.

Muttered words and shuffling sounded, then Chan felt a tug on his arm and a press on his shoulder.

“Lie down, you're beside Changbin and Felix!”, Woojin told him softly and again, Chan couldn't find it in him to protest.  
He mourned Woojin's warmth, when the older detached himself from Chan's body, but the need for rest was stronger. 

Blindly he lowered himself down onto warm sheets, strong arms immediately wrapping around his middle again as Changbin's sweet scent reached his nose.

“Finally you've come to your senses!”, the omega murmured right into Chan's ear.  
“I swear, I won't let you go, until you got a damn good night's rest!”

Normally, Chan would have answered something, but the goo inside his head, that had once been his brain, was in no state to form proper words anymore.  
So he simply hummed in reply, cuddling up to Changbin and finally granting himself the relief of sleep.  
__________

The moment, Jisung finally felt his panic morph into something calmer, relief washed over him like warm rain on a summer day. 

For him, whenever his body went into flight-mode, it was especially draining, because he himself was clear as day nonetheless. 

He knew, his outburst wasn't making any sense, he knew, Chan would never hurt him, he knew, he didn't have to tell his friends not to touch his arms five times for them to respect it.  
But somehow, his body ran on autopilot whenever he got caught in flashbacks and dreams and there was absolutely nothing he could do but wait for it to pass.

When Chan mentioned Minho, however, Jisung also knew, his body should have panicked.  
The boy was another alpha after all. 

But for some reason, he didn't feel an uncomfortable flutter within his stomach, didn't feel threatened by the idea of Minho being close to him.  
So he simply agreed, knowing, that Chan would understand. 

Probably. His leader had always understood him better than he had himself.

Now, that he heard Minho's steps approaching him, he did feel a little nervous, but it wasn't because of the fact that the other was an alpha but because Minho knew.  
He knew their whole story, knew, what had happened to him and what Chan had done. 

And now, that all those walls were finally down, he felt weirdly relieved, yet exposed at the same time.

“Sungie? Can I come closer?”

Jisung almost smiled at Minho's timid sounding voice, that was so unlike the other, but he did appreciate the boy's careful way.  
It made him feel safer.

“Don't worry, I'm fine now!”, he reassured into the direction, where he expected the alpha from.  
In his lying position, he wasn't able to see Minho, which did unnerve him a bit, but he forced himself to focus on the sounds the other was making to locate him.

Only seconds later, Jisung was able to detect Minho's approaching figure, the alpha cautiously coming closer, until he was able to lower himself down beside the omega. 

The orange light of the fire shone on the alpha's features, lighting them up enough for Jisung to see Minho's furrowed brows, curving over dark orbs that were drowning in emotions.  
The boy's appearance seemed weirdly wise, yet still so young at the same time.

“Hey, Lino!”, Jisung breathed, deciding to make the first step. 

The wrinkles in Minho's face ceased a bit and he sighed. 

“Hey Sungie,”, he replied equally soft. “good to see you awake and breathing!”

Jisung would have liked to chuckle at that, but he feared for the stinging pain that action would cause him, his stomach already filled with a dull throb even without him doing anything, so he settled for a simple smile. 

“I'm glad to be alive, too!”

At this, Minho's expression changed a bit. 

“Sungie, what were you thinking?”, he asked, voice now more serious, although it stayed soft.  
Jisung was thankful for that. 

“You could have died, you idiot!”

“Well, I couldn't let you die, either!”, Jisung shot back, starting to fiddle with his fingers just to have something to do, that didn't involve putting pressure on his abdomen.  
Minho's now accusatory tone somewhat unnerved him. 

“This was never your fight to begin with!”

Minho shook his head sadly. 

“It wasn't yours either!”, the alpha answered.  
“You were pulled into this without your consent!”

“So was Chan!” 

Jisung had the urge to hold onto something, but there was nothing there but his own hands. And Minho's.  
He ignored it.

“No, Chan chose to do, what he did!”, Minho objected and Jisung already thought, he would have to defend his leader, when the alpha added: “And not in a thousand years would I ever come up with the idea to judge him for that! Inner alpha or not!”

That comment left Jisung flabbergasted. Minho knew about Chan's lack of inner wolf?

“How much did I miss, while I was out?”, he asked in confusion. 

Heavens, his fingers were itching by now.  
Clawing onto his own blanket, Jisung tried to tune the feeling out.

“Chan told us everything during dinner!”, Minho explained calmly.  
“From start to finish!”

“And none of you is mad?” 

Jisung couldn't really believe that it was supposed to be that easy.  
The other pack must have been mad at them in some way, right?

“Well, Seungminnie wasn't too pleased at first, but he and Chan eventually figured it out!”

Felix deep voice came as a surprise as it sounded from behind them and made Jisung flinch.  
Right after, his face contorted in pain, as his wound strained painfully.

Frowning, Minho looked up towards the two newcomers, that Jisung identified as Felix and Changbin, judging by their scents.

“For Heaven's sake, Lix, you gotta watch it a bit!”, the alpha growled at the freckled boy, the latter immediately mumbling a quiet apology.  
Jisung craned his neck a bit to be able to look at his other two friends, but only making out their silhouettes within the still dim lightning.

“It's okay, Lixie, you just startled me!”, he reassured, before flashing Changbin a short smile as well.  
Then, the strain in his neck got too much and he had to face Minho again. 

Said alpha was staring at Changbin and Felix, whom Jisung could hear lying down behind him.

“And what happened to Zillah?” 

Actually, Jisung hated calling out the woman's name, but he had to know what had happened. 

Minho's expression was casual, as he shook his head lightly. 

“She killed herself!”, the dark-haired boy answered.  
“Chan and Woojin went to bury her a while ago. She's gone!”

The message shouldn't have pleased Jisung as much as it did, but he couldn't help it.  
It was, as if a big weight was lifted off his shoulders, finally letting him breathe freely.  
Finally letting him feel save after all this time.  
Finally, it was over!

Once, a long time ago, Jisung had respected Zillah and Keir.  
The two of them had always been friendly towards their pack.  
He even had really liked Zillah, despite her lack of scent. She had been the one, who had taken care of Nesrin the most after the girl's arrival at the pack and Jisung had always appreciated the Beta for that.

But this Zillah after Keir's death hadn't been the Zillah he had come to know.  
After Nesrin's death, no one had been like before anymore.  
Not Zillah, not Chan, not Jisung himself...

Jisung didn't even realize, he was crying again, until warm tears started dripping down his cheeks.  
Minho looked startled, before trying to soothe him immediately.

“Sungie, is everything alright? You don't have to be scared, she's gone now!”

Jisung sniffed. 

“I know!”, he hoarsely gave back.  
“I don't know why I'm crying! I'm just really really glad!”

Relaxing the tense muscles in his shoulders, Minho sighed in relief. 

“Me too, Sungie, me too!”, the alpha replied softly.  
“But no more lying from no on, alright?”

Looking at the alpha's extended palm, Jisung smiled, finally giving in to his urge of grabbing the others hand.  
Lacing their fingers together he exhaled slowly, nodding, as his cold skin slowly got warmed up by Minho's own. 

“Promise!”, he assured.

“Well, I hope you guys are done, because Channie needs to sleep now!”

Woojin's soft voice interrupted them, making both, Jisung and Minho turn their heads towards the oldest.  
The boy was holding up a barely conscious looking Chan, who was already passed out halfway on the alpha's shoulder, his blond locks sticking up in every possible direction. 

It was the first in a long time, that Jisung saw his friend that vulnerable and he couldn't suppress a soft coo leaving his lips at how much younger Chan looked like this.  
Maybe, Woojin had managed to get Chan back. 

Back from the time before Nesrin's death.

Changbin, who by now was lying beside an already-deep-asleep-again Felix, propped himself up on his elbows.

“He can sleep here!”, the short omega proposed, patting the blanket beside him with his hand.  
“That way, Sungie has more space!”

Nodding, Woojin maneuvered Chan's pliant body to the mentioned place and gently pressed the blond down, the leader immediately obeying by plopping onto the sheet beside Changbin. Jisung could see from the corner of his eyes, how the short omega caught Chan within a tight embrace, effectively trapping the boy.  
Then, for a few seconds, total silence settled over them, until Jisung could hear Woojin's soft chuckle. 

Curiously, he turned his head towards the oldest.

“He's out like a light!”, said alpha grinned, pointing his finger in the general direction of Chan, although it could have been Felix just as well, who was just starting to snore a little.

“Doesn't surprise me! He hasn't slept in days!” Minho's voice sounded calm, yet serious, letting Jisung perk up in surprise.  
Sure, he had realized the lack of sleep in Chan's exhausted eyes, but he hadn't been aware, that the other pack had, too.

“You knew?”, he therefore asked the dark haired alpha, while secretly hoping, Minho wouldn't realize, that they were still holding hands.  
Slowly but carefully, Jisung noticed his body temperature starting to rise again and it was a very comfortable feeling. 

Actually, he was pretty sure, he could even stand cuddling right now, as long as it would warm him up a little.  
Ever since he had woken up from his nightmare, the air around him somehow felt considerably cooler.

Minho used his free hand to scratch his nape sheepishly, not meeting Jisung's eyes.

“Well,” he mumbled,  
“I kind of overheard your and Chan's conversation this morning, when you woke up from your nightmare...”

Normally, Jisung would have felt embarrassed at that - or humiliated – anything that would have punished him for showing his weak side.  
But somehow, all his brain managed to provide him with, was a soft “Oh!” leaving his lips.

Seemingly not realizing his lack of reaction, Minho rambled on. 

“I'm sorry, if I invaded your personal space with that, I really didn't do that on purpose, I just woke up from your scream, and...”

“Min, Heavens, stop, I don't even think he minds!”, Woojin interrupted his friend with a humored tone.  
In his sleepy state, Jisung had almost forgotten the older still sitting behind them.  
Nonetheless, he nodded along to the alpha's words.

“I'm not mad or anything!”, he assured, looking directly at Minho, who returned his gaze a little suspiciously, as if he wasn't quite believing the omega's words. 

Their staring got broken off once more, this time by the door of the medical room opening.  
Hyunjin and Seungmin stepped outside, the latter closing the door again before following the tall alpha, who was already heading towards Jisung, Minho and Woojin.

“Is he finally asleep?”, were Hyunjin's first words, when he reached them, crouching down beside Minho and Jisung.  
With his chin, he gestured to Chan's slumped form, still within Changbin's claws.

Smiling, Woojin hummed softly.

“Took him long enough, but I guess, eventually, his fatigue was stronger than his fear!”, the oldest murmured, sending the blond a fond look, before he pushed himself up into a standing position. 

“Guess, it's time for us to free Jeongin from watch-duty again!”, he then added, words directed at Hyunjin, who only nodded in agreement. 

Feeling his friend's feather-light touch on his cheek, Jisung let his heavy eyelids flutter shut, humming softly, before Hyunjin pulled away again, leaving his side to follow a waiting Woojin. 

Steps faded away, then Jisung and Minho were alone, along with Seungmin, who had quietly stood behind the alpha, waiting for his brother and Hyunjin to leave.  
Now, the healer cautiously approached Jisung head on, clearing his throat to draw Minho's attention to him, too.

“Jisung, how is your wound feeling?”

Listening to his body, Jisung drew a face.  
The dull waves of pain were still there, radiating from the cut in his abdomen and rolling through his whole body, but he supposed, that was normal in his situation.

“It's better, I guess?”, he answered, his voice cracking a bit.  
He would have like to cough, but only thinking about, what kind of strain that would impose to his stomach, he forced himself not to. 

“It still hurts like shit, though!”

Chuckling, Minho shook his head. 

“That's kinda the thing about such injuries, Sungie!”, he snorted, the nickname letting a soothing warmth run through Jisung's veins.  
“They are not very comfortable.”

Just for the fun of it, Jisung settled for sticking his tongue out in the older's direction.  
Not like he was able to do anything else at the moment, but Minho only grinned at him conciliatorily.

“Heavens, okay, never mind, I don't think, it's that bad!”, Seungmin got them out of their personal conversation, the healer exasperatedly raising his hands, as he tried to walk past Minho to find a place to sleep. 

It was obvious, even to Jisung, who slowly got taken over by exhaustion again, that the healer felt excluded by their intimacy. 

But luckily, even before Jisung could say anything in the attempt to get him to stay, Minho reached out and caught Seungmin's hand in his, pulling the omega down to them.  
Releasing a startled yelp, Seungmin lost his balance and tumbled onto the sheet, his shoulder colliding with Minho's chest and tossing the alpha over as well.  
Luckily, none of the two seemed hurt, which was why Jisung allowed himself to laugh. 

Which, on the other hand, was a very bad decision on second thought, because the movement immediately caused him to remember his wound very clearly. 

What was that again about pain only being temporary? Wasn't that what he had said only a few days ago?  
Well, the him now was ready to kick his own ass for that – of course only after he was fully healed.

“For fucks sake, Minho, what was that for?”, Seungmin cursed the older, trying to get out of the alpha's tight embrace, but Minho only snickered, not letting go in the least, as he settled into a more comfortable position beside Jisung, his back pressing against Jisung's shoulder and arm.  
It felt warm and Jisung closed his eyes in comfort, letting them rest, while he continued to listen to Seungmin's complains.

The healer seemingly still wasn't ready to give up.

“Minho, I swear, let me go!”, the omega whined, shuffling sounds letting Jisung believe, the boy was still fighting against Minho's grip.

A low chuckle could be heard from the older boy. 

“Stop struggling, Minnie, I know, you hate sleeping alone!”, the alpha teased. 

“Innie is still coming, I won't be alone!”, the healer shot back, but Minho wouldn't budge in the slightest from what Jisung was able to witness.

Finally, the sounds of rejection stopped, until Jisung heard Seungmin huff.

“I need a blanket, though!”, Seungmin then quietly whined. 

Before anyone could answer anything, a thud could be heard from the back exit of the room, making Jisung flinch and then wince right after as a result of his wound straining once again.  
He couldn't see the newcomer, but the scent invading the room told him of Jeongin's arrival.

“Wow, Minnie, since when do you cuddle with Minho voluntarily?”, the younger alpha asked, his hushed voice coming closer, until Jisung was sure, he was somewhere right beside them.

“I don't!”, Seungmin grumbled halfheartedly, but made no further attempt to explain the situation.

“Minnie needs a blanket, though!”, Minho instead repeated, and even with his eyes closed, Jisung could hear the alpha's shit-eating grin.  
“Could you get one, before you come here and help me cuddle our precious healer to oblivion?”

“Sure, no problem, hyung!”, Jeongin answered happily, his steps crossing the room, followed by the rustling of a sheet, before the youngest came back to lower himself down where what Jisung assumed was beside Seungmin.

“I will poison you guys at some point!”, the healer threatened grumpily, but he only got casual sounds of acknowledgment in return, instead of a proper reaction.

Jisung though felt the need to force himself to speak up one more time, although his mind was already starting to slip back into sleep again.

“Thank you for saving me today, Minnie!”, he whispered softly, his arm reaching out to the healer.  
He did find a hand, but judging by it's high temperature, it was Minho's. 

Nonetheless, Jisung closed his grip around the palm, giving it a light squeeze, before he allowed himself to fully relax. 

The last things he heard, were a muttered “You're welcome!” from Seungmin and a gentle “Sleep well!”, from Minho.  
__________

Hyunjin wasn't sure, why, but he felt ready to cry. 

He had always been quick to get emotional, and now, after everything with Zillah happening, seeing Jisung freak out again and Chan collapse from his lack of sleep, just like in former days, his final straw had been drawn. 

Although he had already slept for quite some time and had been able to get enough rest the last few nights as well, he still felt weirdly drained, as if his energy supplies hadn't gotten stocked up again properly.

Him and Woojin were now standing on the platform together, the cold night air brushing through their hair and stroking their faces.  
And although Hyunjin wasn't freezing, thanks to his usual enormous body-heat, he felt the urge to cuddle up to someone and sleep for eternity.

“Hyunjin, are you alright? You're kinda spacing out!”

Looking up startled, Hyunjin met Woojin's concerned gaze.  
The brown eyes of the other male shone warmly, making Hyunjin want to open up and cry his heart out, but on the other hand, he felt incredibly guilty.

Woojin and his pack had done so much for them!  
They had healed their injuries, fed them, given them a home and had treated them like family. 

He was pretty sure, Woojin had already listened to Chan's concerns, since the two of them had taken pretty long to bury Zillah, and now, he knew, that he had no right to bother the older any further.  
Besides, he didn't have a real problem anyway! 

He just felt...weird!

“I'm fine!”, he therefore answered, forcing a small smile onto his lips.  
“It's just, that a lot has happened today!”

“Yeah, tell me about it!”, Woojin muttered from his spot across the platform as he went back to scanning the clearing.  
“But trust me, it's over now! You guys are alive and save!”

The sentence somehow set something off within Hyunjin, a kind of panic that he couldn't quite explain, even if he had wanted to.

“Do you guys still wanna be with us.” 

Hyunjin hated, how fragile his own voice sounded.  
After what Seungmin had said before, he had carried this fear around with himself. 

The fear, that the newly gained home they had now, would vanish from right beneath their fingertips once again and leave them vulnerable and cold.  
He didn't want to have to go through that all over again.  
He didn't want for his friends to have to go through that all over again!

“What kind of question is that?” 

Woojin sounded genuinely offended, as he turned towards Hyunjin once more.  
“Why wouldn't we?”

“Because,”, Hyunjin swallowed hard but there seemed to be a big lump stuck in his throat, making it hard for him to breathe. “we barged into your lives, used your hospitality and pulled you guys into this full mess of ours! It's not fair to you!”

Frowning, Woojin shook his head.

“We decided to let you in, decided to help you!”, he objected calmly.  
“You didn't force us to do anything!”

“Back then, you didn't know about our secret yet!”, Hyunjin reminded quietly.  
“Because we didn't tell you, although you asked!”

Woojin snorted. 

“We're not stupid, Hyunjin!”, he replied.  
“We knew, you had some kind of weird, twisted backstory! Not everyone suddenly get's himself stabbed!”

“But...” Hyunjin tried to speak up again, but this time, Woojin interrupted him, suddenly crossing the platform with slow strides. 

“Stop beating around the bush, Hyunjin!”, the older alpha ordered firmly, yet gentle, as he stepped up to the tall boy, sporting such a soft expression, that not even Hyunjin could bring himself to feel threatened.  
He trusted Woojin. 

The older smiled upon realizing that, before he continued. 

“What is it, that you really want to ask?”

The lump within Hyunjin's throat grew bigger and every swallowing wasn't helping anymore.  
This was not, how he had planned for this to go! 

He didn't want to burden Woojin any further! He couldn't! He wasn't allowed to...

Burning hot tears gathered within his eyes, blurring his vision, as he tried to hold them back.  
Choking back a sob, he bit down onto his lower lip, hoping for the pain to distract him, but to no avail. 

Looking back at Woojin, who was still patiently waiting for his answer, Hyunjin took in a quivering breath, that stung within his chest for some reason.

“Please stay!”, he then pressed out, his voice breaking.  
And with the words, he wasn't able to hold his tears anymore either. 

“Please don't leave us! Please don't push us away!”

Strong arms wrapped around him and Hyunjin wasn't able to contain his sobs any longer, crying into Woojin's shoulder helplessly, as his emotions got the better of him.

Soothingly rubbing circles into his back, Woojin hummed gently. 

“You know,”, the oldest began, rocking them both back and forth softly.  
“You are the second one who broke down today, because they thought, me and my friend's wouldn't want to have anything to do with them anymore! What is it with you guys, that you seem to hate yourselves so much?”

“I'm sorry!”, Hyunjin choked out, his vocal chords almost failing him because of all his whimpers.  
“I just don't want us to be alone again!”

He could feel Woojin smile against his ear. 

“You won't have to be!”, the older promised.  
“We would never abandon you just like that! This is your home now, too, after all!”

His words only made Hyunjin cry harder, his whole body shaking within Woojin's hold, but the alpha didn't let go, keeping his arms wrapped around Hyunjin until finally, the taller felt his sobs die down, his tears dry up and his muscles decrease their tension, so that he was able to loosen his involuntary grip on Woojin's clothing.

Stepping back a bit, said alpha looked at him, still smiling softly.

“Feeling better?”, he asked and Hyunjin nodded.

If he was honest, he was even more exhausted than before.  
His head felt hot and heavy from all the crying, his nose stuffed and his eyes swollen, but nonetheless, there was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, and for that he was unbelievably grateful to Woojin.

The other male looked a little apologetic, as he threw a glimpse over the railing, down onto the darkened clearing around them.

“I'm sorry for this, but I don't think, I can offer you to go and rest!”, he explained, eyebrows raising a bit.  
“Jeongin should really sleep after everything he had to witness tonight and he already had to cover for me and you, while Jisung had his nightmare, so I'd rather not wake him, and I'm not sure, whether Minho is ready to leave Jisung's side yet, so...”

“Hyung, it's okay!”, Hyunjin quickly interrupted Woojin's ramble, holding his hands up soothingly, as he sniffed a bit, when his nose started running.  
“I'm good now! Thank you for listening to me!”

Scanning him with a scrutinizing look, the older nodded approvingly.

“Nothing to thank me for, Jinnie!”, he replied warmly, and Hyunjin felt his own lips tug upwards at the nickname.  
It felt familiar and domestic. Like family!

“I guess, we should go back to watching then!”, he suggested after a moment, finger pointing down at the forest.  
They had already wasted enough time on him, disregarding their duty to protect everyone back in the main hall. 

Although Hyunjin was pretty sure, that Woojin still would have noticed if someone had approached the building.  
The oldest was that kind of observant.

“Yeah, let's finish our shift properly, before we hand the responsibility over to Felix and Changbin!” 

Woojin gave Hyunjin's arm one last reassuring squeeze, before he turned around and crossed the platform again, returning to his watch-spot on the other side.

Sniffing one last time, Hyunjin reached up to brush the tear-stains on his cheeks away.  
Then, he followed Woojin's example, starting to let his gaze wander along the forest-edge again while the cool night-wind cooled his heated skin and soothed his burning eyes, as he watched over his pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we go! How was it?
> 
> Didz i do good? (*wags tail*)  
> Nah, dun worry I’m kidding! That how my dog always looks at me, when she did a halfassed job and expects a treat nonetheless>.<
> 
> Anyways, I would love any kind of comment, so feel free to leave some opinions!!:)))


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woojin is the best hyung + eomma  
> And the happy ending has to wait until the very last chapter tomorrow!
> 
> Also, Woochan and Minsung alert!;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally i edited the whole shit...-.-
> 
> Also, STORY-TIME IN THE NOTES BELOW THE CHAPTER!!!
> 
> Enjoy!!:)

Time flew by faster, than Woojin had expected it to and the four boys of the other pack grew even more on them.  
  
If Woojin was honest, he had long stopped calling them 'the other pack'.  
In his eyes, they were one group by now.  
  
And even, if no one had ever said it out loud, everyone had slowly but carefully accepted Chan as their leader.  
  
Even Woojin's own inner wolf.  
  
Chan still asked him about decisions, still left him all his personal choices, but he did that with everyone, always considering everyone's opinion and knowledge.  
And Woojin was really fine with that.  
  
In return, he had started to fully focus on looking after everyone.  
There were a lot of tears to dry and minds to clear after the incident with Zillah, and the oldest did his best to free everyone's thoughts from the dark shadows of the past.  
  
To his utmost surprise, Changbin had been the one to lend him a hand at that task, the short omega once again showing, that he could be very mature under certain circumstances.  
  
At one point, he had even come up to Woojin.  
The alpha smiled at the memory.  
  
  
_“Hyung?”  
  
Woojin looked up from staring into the flames of the campfire, flashing Changbin a smile, as the younger sat down beside him.  
  
“What's up, Binnie?”, he asked.  
  
They were alone within the building, everyone else having gone out, except for Minho and Jisung, who were peacefully sleeping next to each other on the other side of the fireplace.  
Chan had taken out Hyunjin and Jeongin to hunt, while Seungmin and Felix were off, collecting more wood.  
  
Changbin sighed quietly, keeping silent a bit longer.  
  
Woojin let him.  
He knew, talking sometimes needed time. And judging by the omega's serious expression, the short boy wasn't here to just cuddle.  
  
Although he had started doing that with Woojin as well.  
  
Ever since Changbin had gotten more comfortable around them, no one was safe from his need for affection and attention.  
Not even Seungmin, although the healer always did his best to fight it.  
  
“You know, you can lean on us, too!”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Woojin looked up in surprise, not having expected those kind of words to leave Changbin's mouth.  
  
Said male turned towards Woojiin.  
His intense gaze seemed to stare right into the older's soul.  
  
“You listen to everyone's concerns!”, he explained quietly.  
“But while doing that, I think, you tend to forget about yourself. You were there, too! You saw Zillah do all that as well and you even helped Chan to bury her!”  
  
The buff boy averted his eyes again to scan the ground as if it had suddenly become interesting.  
  
“Chan has already seen a lot in his life!”, he then continued.  
“He has seen people die, he has seen cruelty and beauty and has gained a lot of knowledge along the way!”  
  
Changbin kicked a small stone away with his pointer finger.  
  
“I met him when he was still not as experienced as today!”, he then said, a small smile appearing on his features.  
“He was young and reckless, had given up hope for our generation. But he was ready to protect those weaker than him, even though he wasn't an alpha, even though he had always been beaten and kicked because of his believes and his nature. He just wanted to survive, but for some reason, he wanted me to survive, too!”  
  
Chuckling quietly, Changbin looked back at Woojin, who, by now, was listening with widened eyes.  
  
“He wanted me, for some reason, and who was I to say no, the first time, someone actually seemed to care about me! And he kept the promise he gave me back then! To never leave me behind!”  
  
At this, Changbin stopped for a moment, seemingly collecting himself and his thoughts again, before he went on.  
  
“So you can trust me, when I tell you,”, he assured Woojin. “that Chan has seen a lot. I know, because I've known him the longest! But I'm not sure, how much you have seen within your life. And if I know one thing, it's that no one watches someone die and is completely unfazed by it, even if they didn't know or like that person!”  
  
Woojin wanted to say something, anything, to tell Changbin, that he was fine, that he wasn't traumatized by what had happened, that he had seen a lot of shit like this in his past thanks to his parents, but he was too stunned to react.  
He really hadn't expected Changbin of all people to come to him with this.  
  
Taking his silence as a sign to continue, Changbin inhaled deeply.  
  
“So, I just want you to know, hyung,”, he finished. “that it is okay for you to talk to us, too! Chan will always listen. Hyunjin too, even Jisung! and if you are fine with me, you can talk to me, too! We're family now!”  
  
The omega looked down sheepishly.  
  
“At least, to us, you guys are!”  
  
It took Woojin a few more seconds, until he was finally able to move again.  
Clearing his throat, he tried to thank Changbin, but no sound seemed to be wanting to leave his lips.  
  
Changing his strategy to reach his goal of getting his gratefulness across to the omega, Woojin simply reached out and wrapped his arms around the younger in a tight hug, pulling the boy against his chest.  
  
Changbin let out a startled yelp and started writhing a bit to get more comfortable, but he didn't fight the alpha's embrace but instead relaxed against the older.  
  
“Thanks, Binnie!”, Woojin finally managed to get out, his voice a little hoarse.  
“I'm really fine, but it feels really good to know, that you guys are there!”  
  
“No problem, hyung!”, Changbin gave back, sounding happy that he was able to help Woojin in some way._  
  
  
  
After that, Changbin and Woojin had gotten closer, the younger often coming to him, just to talk about random things.  
  
And although Changbin was usually childish and affectionate with the others, with Woojin he mostly behaved calmer, more collected and more mature.  
As if he felt like he didn't need to fish for the older's attention to get it.  
It was their secret agreement.  
  
  
Over the time, the relationship between Jisung and Minho had changed as well, how Woojin had observed with bemusement.  
  
After the attack, Minho had refused to leave Jisung's side, not even joining the hunts anymore.  
  
When the omega woke up from a nightmare, shaking and crying, Minho was the first at his side, as soon as Jisung allowed it and whenever Seungmin had to check on the omega's wound, Woojin's friend would be seated right beside Jisung, annoying the hell out of Seungmin with his constant presence.  
  
Like they had predicted, Jisung had gotten insufferable over the time, when he wasn't allowed to move, whining to someone whenever he could.  
  
When the first snow of the year had settled in and Jeongin and Felix had excitedly bolted into the building to tell everyone - still a little wet from their previous fight in the snow - Minho and Hyunjin had to practically sit down on Jisung to keep him from joining the snowball-fights going on outside.  
  
It had taken Minho leaving Jisung for exact seventy-four seconds – Woojin had counted – to go outside and bring back a bucket of fresh snow to get the omega to finally calm down and promise to stay in his place.  
Minho and him had then build a little statue out of snow right within the bucket, before the heat of the constantly burning fire had gotten the better of the frozen substance.  
  
All in all, it was truly endearing to watch, how attached Minho had grown to Jisung, the younger returning the alpha's affection in equal amounts.  
  
Which didn't stop them from bickering at all, how Woojin had noticed.  
  
Nonetheless, they only grew closer, even when Jisung's wound finally closed up, leaving nothing behind but a faint scar, which didn't seem to bother the omega at all.  
At some point, Woojin had even heard him brag about it to Minho.  
  
  
  
_“Lift your shirt!”  
  
Woojin looked up upon Jisung's demanding voice, only to find out, that the omega hadn't been talking to him.  
  
“Excuse me?”  
  
Minho sounded perplexed and Woojin could suppress a chuckle just in time to prevent his best friend from realizing, that he was listening in on their conversation.  
  
Jisung rolled his eyes.  
He was seated opposite Minho, facing Woojin's direction but not looking at the oldest.  
  
“Just do it!”, the omega whined, starting to flick Minho's thigh, until the older bat his hand away with an exasperated groan, his other hand going up to lift his sweater a bit.  
  
Scanning the alpha's bare stomach, Jisung's expression lit up.  
  
“Look, we have matching scars!”, he cheered, showing off his own, still slightly reddened scar, making Woojin grimace at the memory of how it had gotten there.  
  
Minho seemed to be anything but pleased at the omega's revelation either.  
  
“That is not something to be so happy about?!”, Woojin heard him exclaim in disbelief, which got followed up by a pout from Jisung's side.  
  
“Whatever, I like them, you killjoy!”_  
  
  
  
Now, the winter had already passed again, leaving nothing behind but the last bits of snow within the most shadowy places inside the forest.  
  
It had been about four months since Zillah's death, and slowly but carefully, everyone seemed to leave the past behind them.  
  
Chan himself was back to being the kind, yet strong leader, Woojin had come to admire.  
There were times, when the oldest noticed the blond spacing out, staring off into the distance with his black eyes filled to the brim with unreadable emotions.  
But whenever that happened, he had made it a habit to distract Chan again, either by asking him for help or talking to him.  
  
So far, it seemed to be working and Woojin was proud to say, that he and Chan had become close friends over the last few months as well.  
  
Other than Minho, Woojin felt, as if Chan was on the same level of thinking as him, had the same calm temper and the same way of dealing with problems, and therefore, he felt comfortable around the other in a different way, than he did with Minho.  
  
It was nice and easy, especially ever since the big secrets were out.  
Because, how Woojin had learned, Chan was the most honest person he had ever met, apart from his own brother.  
  
No matter, what it was about, the blond always told the truth and by now, he was relatively open towards Woojin as well, even letting out his childish side from time to time, when they went hunting together or during their late dinner sessions around the campfire, which had become a ritual by now.  
  
  
  
_Plopping down beside Chan, Woojin let out a soft sigh.  
  
The day had been quite tough, with a hunt, that had almost ended successless, and weather, that seemed to be everything, but in their favor.  
Woojin couldn't remember, when the last time had been, that he had fought himself through such slippery mud in the forest.  
  
The muscles within his legs were still screaming from their prior exhaustion and his back was also straining painfully, where he was sure he had pulled something during his final jump for their prey.  
Which he luckily had caught in the end, but only thanks to Changbin and Chan, who had predicted the deer's movements and had cut off it's way even before the deer had tried to flee into that certain direction.  
  
“You alright?”  
  
Chan looked up from the flames of the campfire with a small smile on his lips.  
Around them, their packmates were already deeply asleep, thanks to today's labors.  
  
Only Felix and Seungmin were missing, since the both of them hadn't helped with the hunt and were therefore on watch first.  
  
“I'm great!”, Woojin replied dryly, as he adjusted his position beside Chan.  
“I'm currently enjoying the inclusive soreness, that come along with my age! No extra charge at all!”  
  
Chan's grin flashed Woojin his dimples and only now did the alpha realize, that they had been missing from Chan's previous smile.  
  
So the blond was back to brooding once again.  
  
“What are you thinking about, Channie?”, Woojin asked casually.  
  
There was a tug inside his heart that wanted him to scoot even closer to the leader, but he ignored it.  
His inner wolf could shut up for tonight! Woojin knew, Chan wasn't entirely open for excessive skinship during moments like this one right now.  
  
Averting his eyes again and dimples disappearing, Chan shrugged halfheartedly.  
  
“Just...things!”, he answered quietly.  
  
Woojin was thankful, that the blond didn't try to lie to him about his thoughts anymore.  
Even though his vague replies weren't that great either.  
  
Woojin sighed.  
  
“I can practically see the dark clouds circling over your head, Channie!”, he mumbled back, his tone soft.  
  
A part of him always wanted to hug Chan and cuddle him to oblivion, until the leader wouldn't have time to think about anything anymore.  
But Woojin was pretty sure, Chan would skin him, if he even so much as tried to use the blond as a teddy bear.  
Chan wasn't that kind of soft.  
He wasn't an omega on the search for closure. No, the blond was still an alpha at heart and Woojin had to respect that, even though his own inner wolf seemed to be a slow learner when it came to that fact.  
  
Shoulder's slumping upon his statement, Chan let out a deep breath.  
  
“Sorry!”, he apologized almost sheepishly.  
“They just come back from time to time! I can't really stop them!”  
  
Frowning, Woojin let his gaze wander over Chan's blond locks.  
  
“The voices again?”, he questioned.  
  
Chan had told him about the voices once.  
About how they tortured him, screamed at him and called him a monster.  
  
Back then, Woojin had felt his inner wolf rising protectively and he had had to swallow down an instinctive growl.  
Because as much as he wanted to, this was not an enemy he could defend Chan against.  
  
Or could he...?  
  
Woojin had often tried talking Chan through his worse phases in the attempt to block out the voices.  
Sometimes, Chan wouldn't even let him, rather searching for the solitude of the forest.  
  
It always left Woojin sweating in the fear, the blond could someday get lost on his way back, but so far, Chan had always found back to the apartment-tower.  
Probably, because their scent was spread out all over the clearing by now and was hard to miss for someone with a certain sense of smell.  
  
The times, Chan had stayed, Woojin had tried his best to distract him.  
Sometimes it had worked, sometimes, the voices had at least gotten more quiet.  
  
But Woojin wondered.  
  
What would happen, if he would tune them out completely?  
Was that possible?  
  
Deciding to take the risk of Chan beating his ass for his next move, Woojin abruptly leaned over to the blond to place his chin on the leader's shoulder.  
  
Chan flinched, his hand on his knee twitching a bit, but nonetheless, he didn't move away.  
  
Probably, since this wasn't the first time, Woojin had used him as a headrest.  
It was a proximity the blond had permitted Woojin and the alpha took advantage of that whenever he deemed it appropriate.  
  
“What if I talk like this?”, Woojin proceeded to mumble right into Chan's ear.  
“Who's louder, the voices or me?”  
  
A startled squeak escaping his lips, Chan shied away from Woojin's mouth.  
It was the highest sound, Woojin had ever heard the blond produce.  
  
Rubbing his ear in embarrassment, Chan threw Woojin a glance.  
To the alpha's relief, it was filled with a mix of surprise and warmth.  
  
“Wooj, please do not talk right into my ear!”, Chan ordered sternly, but there were the beginnings of a real smile tugging on his lips.  
“That felt really weird!”  
  
Tilting his head to the side while leaning back again, Woojin raised one brow at Chan.  
  
“Are your ears sensitive?”, he then asked and the way, Chan's exposed ear flashed bright red, Woojin knew, he had hit the nail on the head.  
  
Bull's eye!  
  
“Maybe?”, Chan gave back with a nervous tone to his voice.  
“I would at least appreciate it, if you would refrain from doing that again!”  
  
“Fine, I won't!”, Woojin grinned, but his attention immediately went back to Chan's ears, when the blond stopped rubbing the one facing him.  
  
It was still red, probably from the bloodrush.  
  
“Is that, why you always tug at them, when you are embarrassed?”  
  
This time, Woojin was sure, it wasn't just Chan's ears, that flushed a bright red, although he couldn't be certain with the orange shine of the fire being the only lightening in the dark hall.  
  
“I don't do that!”, Chan defended, his dark eyes widening, as he stared at Woojin.  
  
The alpha grinned.  
  
So it was something, Chan did subconsciously!  
  
“Yes you do!”, he retorted eagerly.  
“Especially, when Jisung or Changbin expose you somehow!”  
  
Chan's mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to reply something, only to close again right after.  
His hand went up to tug at his reddened ears and when the blond noticed his subconscious gesture, he let his head flop backwards with a groan.  
  
“I'm pretty sure, I only did that, because you told me just now!”, he grumbled with a pout, which resembled one of the very rare expressions on Chan, Woojin had come to enjoy over the months.  
  
He chuckled lowly.  
  
“Sure, sure, Channie!”, he gave back lightly.  
“It's my fault!”  
  
Sending him a glare, Chan narrowed his eyes at Woojin.  
  
“You agree but you make it sound, like you are mocking me!”, he sulked, and Woojin couldn't help but laugh.  
  
“Exactly my intention!”, he grinned back and Chan only huffed in fake annoyance.  
  
Then, Woojin cleared his throat.  
He loved joking around with Chan, but that wouldn't let their previous problem disappear either.  
  
“Can I do something though?”, he asked, more serious now.  
  
But Chan only shook his head.  
  
“It'll go away again!”, the blond explained dismissively.  
“Sooner or later, even the voices get tired!”  
  
“Fuckers!”, Woojin mumbled under his breath but Chan seemed to hear him nonetheless.  
The blond let out a snicker.  
  
“True that!”, he grinned and Woojin was glad to see his dimples.  
  
For a while, the both of them just sat beside each other, silently while staring into the shrinking flames of the campfire.  
But with the minutes passing, Woojin could slowly feel his eyelids beginning to droop shut.  
  
His limbs felt incredibly heavy and his brain was beginning to shut down as well.  
  
Slowly, Woojin allowed himself to lean against Chan, his head landing on the blond's shoulder.  
Chan's shoulders were pretty comfortable, since they were so broad and muscular. Like a soft pillow.  
  
“Woojin, if you talk right beside my ear again, I swear, i'll...”, Chan's voice sounded from somewhere, but Woojin couldn't hear the rest.  
His eyes had already closed fully and his head was halfway off to dreamland.  
  
He was about to drift off, when suddenly, a strong force grabbed him and pulled him into a lying position.  
  
Lettig out an involuntary yelp, Woojin forced his eyes back open, as his head hit something even softer than Chan's shoulder.  
When he blinked upwards, he was staring right into Chan's face, that was hovering above him.  
  
“You shouldn't sleep while sitting up!”, the blond explained with a soft smile.  
“That way you will be even more sore tomorrow!”  
  
Recognizing, that his head was placed in Chan's lap, Woojin groggily stared at the blond.  
  
“What about you?”, he questioned but Chan only gave a soft laugh in return.  
  
“I will sleep soon, too!”, he assured.  
“Just not yet!”  
  
Soft fingers began carding through Woojin's hair and he couldn't help the sigh he heaved.  
The feeling was the definition of pleasant, soft and gentle. He could already feel it lulling him to sleep.  
  
“If you continue, I will be gone in a few seconds!”, he warned drowsily, his eyes already closing again.  
  
Chan chuckled once more, the warm sound not exactly helping Woojin to fight his fatigue.  
  
“That's the plan!”, the leader gave back quietly.  
“You need to rest!”  
  
“So do you!”, Woojin mumbled back, but by now, he was too tired to stand his ground against his exhaustion any longer.  
He could practically feel Chan smile, dimples included.  
  
“Sleep well, Wooj!”_  
  
  
  
After that, Woojin had made sure, to search for Chan's presence even more often.  
With the time passing, he had even reached a point, where Chan would allow him to touch his ears sometimes, something Woojin liked doing because he knew exactly, how much Chan enjoyed it as well.  
  
But not only Chan had relaxed more around him.  
  
Hyunjin, too, had changed since their first encounter.  
  
The tall alpha no longer flinched at sudden movements from Woojin's side and was comfortable enough to even cuddle with Minho or him.  
  
Apart from the increased amount of skinship, Hyunjin had also gotten a bit bolder at voicing his thoughts, even joining in on teasing them from time to time, especially, if Seungmin was the one to initiate the joke.  
  
By what Woojin had observed, he assumed, that the healer was - along with Jeongin - Hyunjin's comfort zone.  
The three of them often stuck together, even going on forest strolls and evening walks, if they weren't huddled together beneath a blanket, whispering things to each other or simply cuddling or napping.  
  
Even Seungmin seemed to forget his usual reversed self during those moments, and Woojin was happy to see his brother like this, carefree and without having to take over responsibility for once.  
  
Felix and Changbin had gotten closer as well, although Woojin still thought, they made a weird couple, whenever they were together.  
  
The short buff omega that craved attention and skin-ship almost 24/7, and the calm freckled alpha with the soft face and the fear of something touching his hair.  
  
Nonetheless, the two of them seemed to make it work, sometimes chattering for hours about unimportant things or alternatively practicing their fighting together.  
  
Looking at the whole picture, it was evident, that their packs had grown together into one, and Woojin was proud to call their group his family.  
  
But as happy as he was and wanted for it to stay that way, he couldn't look away, when he noticed Jisung changing again.  
  
First, it was just the bags beneath the omega's eyes and Woojin brushed it off as not enough sleep, maybe because of nightmares or even too many watches.  
  
But then, Jisung started getting more and more restless.  
  
At some point, whenever the omega didn't have any duties, he would disappear, either to stroll through the forest on his own, or to climb the apartment-tower to quietly sit on the platform, until someone called him down again.  
  
Today, it wasn't any different.  
  
Chan and Minho were out hunting, together with Changbin, and Felix had tagged along with Jeongin and Hyunjin on a walk.  
Seungmin was still within the building, but Woojin knew, that his brother was dying to read a bit within his book, so he was free to go and search for the missing Jisung.  
  
Which wouldn't take him very long!  
  
Slowly ascending the stairs that led up to the platform, Woojin carefully stuck his head out the opening on top, smiling a little, when his gaze fell on Jisung's form.  
The omega was leaning against the railing of the building, staring off into the distance.  
  
Fully stepping onto the roof, Woojin softly cleared his throat to get the omega to recognize him.  
  
Jisung flinched in surprise before he turned around to face the older.  
  
“Hyung, I didn't notice you!”, he exclaimed, letting out a breath.  
  
He sounded normal, typical scaredy-cat-like Jisung, but Woojin wouldn't let himself get fooled by that mask.  
He could clearly see the hooded look in the other's brown eyes.  
  
“Sorry, didn't mean to scare you!”, he chuckled, walking over to lean beside Jisung and allow his eyes to wander over the horizon as well.  
  
It was already afternoon, but ever since the snow had vanished, the days were getting longer again, providing them with a bit more of daytime.  
  
“What were you thinking about?”  
  
It wasn't like he was expecting Jisung to open up just like that, and he was proven right, when the omega simply shrugged, biting down on his lower lip.  
  
“Nothing much!”  
  
But Woojin hadn‘t come up here to just leave it at that.  
  
“Sungie, I can literally see the smoke of the fire that seems to be burning beneath your butt with how antsy you are!”, he therefore commented dryly, throwing the omega a bemused side glance.  
  
“It's okay to talk about whatever is bothering you, alright?”  
  
For a second, Jisung's face was one of pure surprise, but then, the boy's shoulders sagged and he let out a deep sigh.  
  
“I don't wanna bother you with that!”, he answered Woojin dejectedly.  
“It's not like you could fix it!”  
  
“No, but maybe by talking about it, the whole thing becomes a little clearer to you!”, Woojin gave back with an encouraging smile displayed on his face.  
  
Sighing once more, Jisung threw him one last doubting look, before he visibly gave in.  
  
“But you are not allowed to tell Channie-hyung!”, he warned.  
  
Woojin only nodded.  
He knew he wouldn't have to. Chan had already realized as well, that something was off with Jisung and he was sure, sooner or later, the blond would find it out on his own.  
No need for him to tell anything!  
  
Starting to chew on his lip again, Jisung glanced back at the mountains in the distance.  
  
“I feel like...”, he started, only to correct himself right after.  
“I feel unbelievably restless again!”  
  
Woojin didn't say anything.  
He guessed, this was the kind of time, where he should simply wait and let Jisung speak.  
  
“You know,”, the omega continued. “how I told you about our previous lifestyle, back then on top of the highway?”  
  
Woojin nodded lightly.  
  
Jisung started shifting a bit, as if he was incredibly uncomfortable.  
  
“I kind of...”, he started, just to break himself off again before he tried it once more.  
  
“I feel, how I did back then!”  
  
Waiting, Woojin hoped for more information, but nothing came.  
After a moment of silence, he decided to speak up.  
  
“What did you feel like back then?”, he asked softly, not wanting to make Jisung feel pressured into answering, although his curiosity was rising with every passing second.  
  
“Like...” Jisung visibly swallowed.  
“Like something is pulling me. Pulling me into a certain direction, away from the place I'm staying at at that time.”  
  
This let Woojin go quiet again.  
  
Of course he still remembered the longing on Jisung's face, when the omega had told him about their wandering back then on top of the highway during their trip to the shopping center.  
  
He had known back then, that Jisung missed the freedom that came with it.  
  
And that was, why he now instantly realized, what was wrong with the younger.  
Why he spent all his free time wandering through the forest or longingly staring at the silhouettes of the mountains.  
  
“You yearn to set out again, don't you.”  
  
It wasn't a question but a statement.  
  
Eyes big and hopeless, Jisung finally turned back to Woojin, who was already looking at the boy.  
  
“Hyung, what am I supposed to do?”, the omega asked, his voice small.  
“I feel like I'm going insane!”  
  
He ruffled a hand through his hair.  
  
“And every time Minho looks at me, I just feel worse and worse, because I want to be happy, want to keep what I finally have here, but I just - _can't_!”  
  
Gently, Woojin reached for Jisung's fingers and pressed the gesturing palms back down to the boy's sides.  
  
It pained him – to know what he was about to say would maybe rip his newly gained family apart.  
His inner wolf was definitely vehemently against it.  
  
But he couldn't watch Jisung suffer either.  
  
“Sungie, some people aren't made to stay in just one place!”, he mumbled sadly but keeping his smile up.  
Though he was sure, it looked somewhat crooked.  
  
Jisung stared at him with a nearly desperate expression - as if he was drowning and Woojin was the only one able to save him.  
  
So Woojin tried his best.  
  
“Maybe, it's time for you to start wandering again...”  
  
Eyes growing even bigger, Jisung gaped at him.  
“Hyung, I - “, he stuttered, catching himself again and shaking his head slightly with a grieving expression.  
“I could never leave Channie-hyung. Or the others.”  
  
The omega's tone got even more quiet.  
  
“Or Minho!”, he added after a short moment of silence.  
“And you guys are a part of me, too, by now!”  
  
Woojin really longed to leave it at that.  
To just try and make Jisung forget his pain, make him happy here, at the apartment-tower, among their pack.  
  
But he knew, his trying would be in vain.  
It wasn't just Jisung after all.  
  
Now, that the omega had opened his eyes to this, he realized, that the signs had been there all along.  
He just hadn't wanted to see them and had looked away.  
  
Hyunjin's late night strolls, when he thought, no one noticed his absence, since it was the time the tall alpha usually went to the stream.  
  
Chan's many looks thrown back into the forest, whenever they returned home from a hunt.  
  
They were getting just as restless as Jisung.  
  
No one chose the life of a traveler just like that.  
It was a hard way to survive and lacked all kind of comfort.  
  
But - Woojin guessed - some hearts weren't made to stay caged.  
  
“It's not just you, Jisung!”, he therefore earnestly replied.  
“Hyunjin feels the same. Chan, too! I can see them shuffling in their spots just as much as you do.”  
  
He managed a small smile.  
  
“I guess, your past is coming to haunt you one last time.”  
  
The hope blooming in Jisung's face was like bittersweet agony invading Woojin's chest. Painful, yet beautiful.  
  
“You think they would come with me?”  
  
Voice timid, Jisung looked back towards the mountains, that were now getting darker and darker with the shrinking light of the day, the shadows already getting longer again and the air colder.  
  
And Woojin's heart ached.  
  
“I know they would!”, he simply replied.  
  
When Jisung looked back at him, however, Woojin knew, it had been the right decision, the expression on the boy's face shining with newfound hope and power.  
Happiness and relief were radiating off of the omega.  
  
“Thank you, hyung!”, he whispered out and Woojin couldn't help but smile again despite his mourning.  
__________  
  
Minho was many things, but he certainly wasn't stupid.  
  
And therefore, he, of course, noticed the shifting atmosphere around Jisung and his friends.  
  
At first, it had only been Jisung, who had gotten weirder and weirder, the omega spacing out more and becoming quieter.  
  
Minho had assumed, the boy was once again getting haunted by his past, so he tried his best to be there for the younger, to distract him.  
  
And at first, it seemed to be working, but slowly but carefully, Jisung's condition got worse.  
  
It wasn't entirely obvious, but for Minho, who had spent the past five months getting closer to Jisung, it was clearly evident.  
  
How the boy would stare off into space, if no one talked to him directly, how he claimed to go for a wash without coming back for hours, how his brows furrowed just the slightest bit and his teeth started assaulting his lower lip, whenever he was able to catch sight of the horizon, preferably from the platform atop the apartment-tower.  
  
So, when Jisung had seemed happier, when Minho had gotten home after a hunt with Chan and Changbin, he had felt relieved at first, his mind hoping, that the omega's weird phase was over.  
  
But his heart had known, it wasn't, when Jisung had only grown frenzier, barely able to keep still for more than five seconds.  
  
And not just him.  
  
Chan and Hyunjin seemed to be infected by this restlessness as well, although the two of them were able to hide it much better, than Jisung.  
  
So, when two days later, Minho noticed Jisung disappearing again, the omega vanishing through the back exit of the main hall, he decided to finally face the boy.  
  
  
Jisung was already leaning against the railing, when Minho reached the platform, a position he could often be found in nowadays.  
  
It was so familiar to Minho by now, that he couldn't help a smile ghost over his face, before it turned back to being serious.  
  
“Hey Sungie!”, he greeted quietly, slowly walking a bit closer, although he definitely still refused to step up to the edge directly.  
  
The omega turned towards him with an unusually calm expression, that looked almost solemn to Minho.  
But at least, he didn't flinch.  
  
To Minho's great delight, the boy had stopped doing that ever since he had recovered from his injury.  
  
“Hey Lino!”  
  
The nickname rolled softly over Jisung's lips, warming something within Minho's chest.  
  
“What are you doing up here?”  
  
It was a reasonable question, since, aside from dancing, Minho never came up here voluntarily, but nonetheless, the alpha couldn't shake the feeling, that Jisung already knew, what he had come here for.  
  
“I came here to talk to you!”  
  
Nodding, Jisung leaned his back against the stony railing behind him and let his gaze wander around a bit, as if to not having to meet Minho's own.  
  
“I figured!”, he then said, not catching the alpha by surprise.  
He had already expected it after all.  
  
At least, this gave him the opportunity to get right to the point.  
  
“What's going on, Sungie?”  
  
Letting out a soft sigh, Jisung sucked his lower lip between his teeth, starting to gnaw on it, as he did so very often.  
  
“We're leaving, Lino!”, he then said quietly, but to Minho, it was like thunder ripping through silence.  
  
Like a hit straight to the face.  
  
A part of him had somehow known.  
  
Hell, he was able to read Jisung by now, was able to know, what the signs had meant.  
  
But Jisung saying it so bluntly, so directly – it was a whole different story and figuratively knocked him off his feet nonetheless.  
  
“What do you mean, you are leaving?”  
  
Why was he even asking? He knew.  
  
He had known all along.  
  
“I want to reach the mountains!”, Jisung answered with a pained smile decorating his face.  
“I want to do what Nesrin dreamed of. I want to feel free again!”  
  
The numb feeling of shock vanished from Minho's body and got replaced by fear.  
  
Ice-cold, clawing, blank fear.  
Fear of loosing Jisung.  
  
“You can't go!”, he stuttered out, his hand going up to stroke through his hair, only to have something to do that kept him from collapsing.  
  
Everything was spinning and he felt short on breath.  
  
“You can't leave!”  
  
“You can't hold me!”  
  
Different, from what had Minho imagined after his previous words, Jisung didn't sound angry or defensive.  
  
Instead, the omega's voice was soft and apologetic, as if from someone, who had to tell a child, that it's mother had died.  
  
Not that Minho knew first-handedly.  
Other than his father, he himself had been present during his mother's death.  
  
Pushing himself off the railing, Jisung slowly walked over to where Minho was standing in the middle of the platform.  
  
“Look Lino, I promise, I will come back!”, the omega assured.  
“But I need to do this! I can't sleep anymore, can't think straight. Chan and Hyunjin have already decided to come with me! They kind of feel the same. But we will be back!”  
  
_'You might not!'_ , Minho wanted to yell.  
  
After all, the last time, they wandered, they had almost gotten killed.  
  
But no words seemed to leave his dry mouth.  
He swallowed heavily.  
  
What if Jisung died along the way?  
  
What if the omega came up with another stupid idea, such as climbing a fricking crane?  
Then Minho wouldn't be there to save his ass.  
And he would never see the boy again!  
  
His inner wolf started growling in fear and frustration, spinning inside him restlessly.  
  
He couldn't let that happen!  
He needed Jisung to stay with him!  
He needed to prevent them from separating!  
He had to...  
  
Suddenly, Minho's whole body went calm.  
  
He knew exactly, what he had to do.  
  
It had never really occurred to him before, but the solution was as clear as day.  
  
“I'm coming with you!”  
  
“What?”  
  
Jisung looked beyond startled at his suggestion, the omega even tumbling backwards a few steps with widened eyes.  
  
“Do you even know what you are saying?”  
  
Nodding, Minho felt determination rush through his veins.  
It all seemed easy all of the sudden.  
  
“Of course I do! I can't leave you to yourself after all!”  
  
A slightly offended expression bloomed on Jisung's face.  
  
“Yah!”, he exclaimed.  
“I am perfectly capably of looking after myself!”  
  
But nonetheless, the corners of his lips tugged upwards beautifully, his eyes turning into crescents.  
  
But then, his smile died again.  
  
“You should properly think this through, Lino!”, he mumbled, lowering his head.  
“This is a big decision! Traveling is no easy way of life!”  
  
Minho actually snorted at that.  
  
“Sungie, I may remind you, that I haven't lived within this building forever!”, he chastised in a mocking tone.  
“I know, what it's like to wander around!”  
  
Although he wasn't too sure, whether he really knew, what he was getting himself into.  
  
Back then, when Woojin, Seungmin, Jeongin and him had left the city, they had roamed around for almost two years, searching for a place to stay at, a place they could call home.  
  
That had been wandering, too, of course, but Minho wasn't sure, how it would be, when he wasn't searching for anything in particular.  
  
When the wandering itself was the goal.  
  
The idea sounded kind of crazy.  
  
But by far not as crazy as letting Jisung get out of his sight, so he just ignored his doubts.  
  
He had made his decision!  
  
Still staring at him with big eyes, Jisung finally hummed softly.  
  
“It's not like I would try to stop you, even if I could!” he mumbled.  
“I don't wanna leave you either after all!”  
  
Once again, the omega's words let warmth spread within Minho's chest, expand and flow through him like warm rain during summer.  
  
There had been a time, when every sound out of Jisung's mouth had driven him crazy and ready to snap, but now, the boy's presence calmed Minho, made him feel more secure somehow.  
  
He always tried to blame it on wanting to make sure, that Jisung wasn't doing anything stupid.  
  
Like the last time he had taken a nap and therefore let the omega and Changbin out of his sight.  
  
  
_“Hyung, are you awake?”  
  
Humming sleepily, Minho opened his right eye to Changbin staring down at him.  
  
“I am now!”, he replied with a sigh, fully sitting up.  
“What is it?”  
  
Awkwardly, Changbin started fiddling with his fingers while avoiding his gaze.  
  
“I sort of did something,”, the shorter boy then said slowly. “and I really need some advice, but I don't want a lot of judgment and criticism.”  
  
Minho only raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
“And you came to me?”, he asked dryly.  
  
Huffing, Changbin squirmed a bit in his spot.  
  
“Can we please hurry?” he simply shot back, his gaze darting around a bit.  
“I really need your help here!”  
  
Suppressing a yawn, Minho nodded.  
  
“Fine, what is it?”  
  
He really should sleep a little more after this.  
His last watch had been tough because of the weather.  
  
“But why exactly do you think, I would help you?”  
  
He knew, he was being mean, but annoying Changbin was always somehow worth it, because the omega got sulky rather fast.  
A hilarious sight to Minho.  
  
Nearly wringing his hands by now, Changbin coughed nervously.  
  
“Because I thought, you might have an interest in keeping Sungie's ass alive and...”  
  
The omega got cut of by Minho fully snapping his drooping eyes open and straightening his lazy posture.  
  
“What about Jisung?”, he demanded to know.  
  
Fear was leaking from his guts into his system and he felt his nerves flutter.  
  
Ever since the incident with Zillah, he felt like something could happen to the boy at all times, even though he was perfectly aware, that Jisung could take care of himself.  
  
“I might or might not have accidentally dared him to climb that very tall tree outside the building!”, Changbin finally squeaked out, clenching his eyes shut.  
  
“Please don't kill me?”  
  
A loud groan escaped Minho and he threw his head back shortly to stare at the ceiling in exasperation, before he scrambled to his feet, last bits of drowsiness vanishing.  
  
Screw that part about Jisung being able to take care of himself!  
  
“Which tree?”, he simply asked with a small sigh, hurrying after Changbin only a moment later to keep the omega from finally breaking his neck._  
  
  
Sighing at the memory, Minho shook his head slightly, before smiling at Jisung and extending his hand at the boy.  
  
“Promise to not leave me, then!”, he proposed, relief rushing over him once more, when Jisung laced their fingers together without the slightest ounce of hesitation.  
  
“Promise!”, the omega gave back solemnly.  
  
“I'll never leave you!”  
__________  
  
After his talk with Jisung, Woojin could feel the atmosphere shifting.  
  
Chan never voiced it, but it was evident, that he would go with Jisung.  
  
And Woojin knew, that Chan was aware, that he knew that.  
  
What had shaken him way more, was Minho deciding to join them as well.  
  
It wasn't like Woojin hadn't seen it coming.  
No, he had watched the growing affection between Jisung and his best friend and honestly, it would have surprised him more, if the alpha had decided to stay despite Jisung leaving.  
  
But nonetheless, him and Minho had spent the biggest part of their lives together, so now, that his friend was about to slip through his fingers – it scared Woojin.  
  
He had gotten used to relying on the snarky alpha and it felt, as if he was being left all alone, now that Chan would be gone as well.  
  
But as Woojin learned only a few days later, he wasn't the only one about to loose his best friend for the time.  
  
  
  
“I wanna go with them!”  
  
Turning to Jeongin with wide eyes, Woojin, who had been busy cleaning their food-basket in the main hall, wasn't sure of how to reply.  
  
Luckily, the youngest still had some more to say.  
  
“I wanna go with them and see the mountains, Jisung has been talking about for the past weeks! I wanna see the parts of the land that Channie-hyung has been telling me stories about. I want to travel!”  
  
Jeongin had a determined look on his face, sharp eyes filled with excitement.  
  
It made Woojin realize, that the youngest had already made his decision.  
And there would be nothing he could say to stop the alpha.  
  
Despite that, he tried.  
  
“Innie, are you sure about this?”, he asked softly.  
  
He would never look down on the boy's choice but he also wanted him to be aware of what was waiting for him.  
  
“Traveling isn't always funny and enjoyable! You know that, right?”  
  
But Jeongin only nodded, expression serious and calm.  
Way more mature, than Woojin would have expected from him.  
  
“Of course I know, hyung. We used to wander around as well!”, he answered with a broad smile.  
“But I know, Hyunjin will look after me!”  
  
Right! Woojin had almost forgotten.  
  
Hyunjin and Jeongin had also grown close over the past few months.  
  
Poor Seungmin! His brother would loose both of his friends for the time!  
  
“I'm not worried!”, he answered  
  
And he really wasn't.  
  
He knew, every single member of Chan's group would do everything within their power to keep Jeongin save.  
  
“Minho will be with you as well, after all.”  
  
Smiling sadly, Woojin met Jeongin's direct gaze.  
  
“I'm just gonna miss you and him a lot!”  
  
Jeongin's smile faded.  
  
“I'm gonna miss you guys, too!”, the boy admitted, eyes averted.  
“Especially Minnie!”  
  
A pang of sympathy for his brother shot through Woojin's body again.  
  
“Does he know already?”, he probed and Jeongin let his head sink even deeper between his shoulders.  
  
“He's mad at me, I guess!”, the youngest replied quietly.  
  
“You know, he's just upset!”, Woojin objected, pulling Jeongin into a gentle hug.  
“It's his way of coping. After all, you guys have been together, practically ever since you learned how to walk!”  
  
Jeongin sighed.  
  
“I know...”, he mumbled.  
“It's not like I want to hurt him. But I want to see more than just the apartment-tower. He might be fine with that, but I'm not!”  
  
Letting go of the youngest again, Woojin flashed him a warm smile.  
  
“And that is okay, Innie, we won't stop you!”, he assured.  
“Just know, that we will miss you!”  
  
A sudden fear let his smile die and he had to make sure of something.  
  
“You guys will come back next winter, won't you?”  
  
Now it was on Joengin to beam at him.  
  
“Of course, hyung, why would we spent the freezing cold nights outside, when we can just return to you and let ourselves get spoiled?”  
  
Snorting, Woojin reached out to ruffle Jeongin's black hair affectionately.  
  
“Brat!”, he exclaimed, the younger alpha only giggling in reply and batting at his hand.  
  
“Now go and talk with Minnie. You guys need to sort this out!”, Woojin finally ordered.  
  
Nodding, Jeongin went to hug him one more time, before the boy bolted out of the main hall on his search for Seungmin.  
  
Woojin assumed, the healer would be outside, enjoying the warmth of the sun.  
Today was a clear spring day after all.  
  
Watching Jeongin's retreating figure disappear down the staircase, Woojin felt his heart ache a little.  
  
Two members of his pack were leaving and there was nothing he could do to stop them.  
  
He knew, Seungmin and Felix would never leave the apartment-tower, but that didn't stop his inner wolf from growling fearfully at the threat of loss.  
  
It was his responsibility to keep his pack together after all.  
  
But he also knew, Chan would take good care of his friends.  
  
Without joking, Woojin was able to say, that Chan, just as well as Jisung, was ready to take a knife to protect his pack-mates.  
  
Nonetheless, the thought of it only being him, Seungmin and Felix in the end, stayed as a grim reminder in the back of his head, and he was unable to shake it.  
__________  
  
Changbin hadn't meant to listen in on Woojin's and Jeongin's conversation.  
  
He had just been on his way into the main hall, when he had heard their voices and to not interrupt them, he had simply waited.  
  
If he was honest, he had already been aware, that Minho would be coming with them.  
The alpha was simply too attached to Jisung at this point.  
  
But hearing Jeongin deciding to join them as well came as a surprise to him.  
  
He genuinely hadn't thought, the younger boy would leave his family behind for this, even if him and Hyunjin had gotten good friends over the past months.  
  
“Now go and talk with Minnie! You guys need to sort this out!”  
  
Panic shooting through his veins, Changbin quickly turned around and bolted the stairs back down as quietly as possible to not get caught eavesdropping.  
  
At the ground-floor, he hid himself within the darkness of the hallway beside the staircase, waiting for Jeongin to pass him, before he slowly let out the breath he had been holding.  
  
He wasn't even entirely sure, why, but for the first time in his life, he felt like he needed some alone-time to think.  
  
Because, despite everything, he didn't feel like Hyunjin or Jisung.  
  
His chest wasn't quivering with the need to set out again and his feet weren't itching to run away.  
  
The darkness around him was in the same way comforting as it was crushing, so Changbin slowly returned to the main entrance, carefully pulling the old wooden door open, as he had done so many times these past few months.  
  
It had become normal, a routine even and if he was honest, he was completely content with the way he was familiar with the rough surface of the handle and the slight bump on the floor, that always caught the door and let it make a chafing sound.  
  
Blinding sun welcomed him, as he stepped outside, and Changbin immediately noticed, how much warmer it had gotten within the last two weeks.  
  
The snow was long gone, and fresh plants were growing everywhere, turning the landscape into a lively green.  
  
The birds had started singing again as well and many insects had found their way out of their hideouts from the coldness of winter.  
  
Spring had arrived without him really noticing, and now, the realization hit Changbin hard.  
  
With the days getting longer and the nights warmer again, he knew, that it wouldn't take very long until his friend's would decide to take off.  
  
And he would be going with them.  
  
At least that was, what he had always assumed.  
That the two packs would separate again, the same way they had met.  
  
Woojin's pack and Chan's pack.  
  
Five boys and four boys.  
  
But now, that he knew, that Minho and Jeongin had made different decisions – their own decisions to be precise – he was wavering in his believes.  
  
Because Changbin really was content, with how things were right now.  
  
He liked the building and the safety it provided, he liked the watching shifts and the warm fire.  
  
He liked having a blanket and a territory to hunt in.  
  
All in all, other than his pack-mates, he didn't see the reason in starting to travel again.  
  
Everything was fine as it was, wasn't it?  
Why did they have to endanger that?  
  
Realizing, that he had frozen in place within the door frame, Changbin shook his head slightly and walked the first few steps of the building' stairs down to sit down at the bottom.  
  
The grass was still a little damp after all and he was in no need to get his pants wet.  
  
Silence surrounded him, but for the first time ever, Changbin didn't dislike it.  
  
Since they had joined Woojin and his friends, Changbin felt less on edge.  
  
There was always someone there to grant him attention, always something he could do, together with someone.  
  
And even, if he lost sight of his friends at some point, he always knew, that they would be back sooner or later.  
  
Because this was their territory and their home.  
Everyone always returns home!  
  
So there was no reason for him to worry to get left behind.  
And that relaxed him greatly.  
  
Of course he knew, that Chan would never leave him behind either.  
  
His friend had promised him that over and over again and had never once broken his promise within the span of over seven years, but nonetheless, the feeling was different, knowing, that he had a home.  
  
Although he wasn't too sure, whether it would still be such to him, once his friends were gone.  
  
The rays of the sun warmed Changbin's skin comfortably, a sharp contrast to the chilly stone he was sitting on, and he closed his eyes to relish within the feeling.  
  
Luckily, they had agreed to not do anything today, which gave him enough time to think everything over.  
  
Although he felt like no time in the world would be enough to make such a decision.  
  
Changbin felt torn in the worst way possible, and he honestly had no idea of what to do.  
  
Normally, during such situations, he had talked with Chan about it.  
  
Chan, his best friend, his brother, his leader.  
Chan, who had always been there for him and vice versa.  
Chan, with his blond locks and black eyes and calming scent.  
  
Strong Chan, who never gave up.  
Happy Chan, who let his guard down around him and joked around, becoming almost as crazy as Jisung sometimes.  
Gentle Chan, who was always ready to cuddle or comfort, listen or help.  
  
Chan, who had wanted him, when no one else did.  
  
Simply Chan.  
  
Was he even allowed to leave Chan's side?  
  
After the blond had given him so so much?  
  
Did he even really want to?  
How much was it worth to him to have a safe place to stay at?  
Really enough to leave his friends for that?  
  
Changbin had never known anyone beside his pack.  
  
Sure, he had been familiar with people within the old packs they used to stay at, but he had never been good at keeping up the relationships, always just talking with them, if it came up.  
Never searching for anyone's attention other than from Chan, Jisung and Hyunjin.  
  
Until they had met Woojin's pack.  
  
Before, Changbin would have known how to decide.  
Before, he wouldn't ever have thought about there even being a possibility of him leaving Chan's side.  
  
But now things had changed.  
And he wasn't so sure of what to do anymore.  
  
Light steps on grass got Changbin to abandon his thoughts and blinkingly open his eyes again, only to meet a curious stare out of round brown orbs, just when a certain scent engulfed him.  
  
“What are you wondering about?”  
  
Although Changbin wasn't exactly in the mood to smile, a warm contentedness settled within his core at the sight of Felix and he hummed as a greeting, scooting a bit to the side to encourage the alpha to sit down beside him.  
  
Following his silent ask, Felix plopped down onto the stairs, letting out a little whine, when his butt hit the stony surface harder than the orangehead probably had intended.  
  
Slight relief let Changbin sigh, once he felt Felix' warmth beside him, their thighs even pressing together.  
  
As much as he had wanted to be alone to be able to think about some things, he still felt more comfortable with someone at his side, preferably as close as possible.  
  
“You still haven't answered!”  
  
Felix' voice sounded even deeper than normally, since the boy was speaking so low, as if not wanting to disturb the silence engulfing them.  
  
When Changbin cast the alpha a side-glance, his eyes fell on Felix freckles, the small dots scattered over the boy's face like stars and moving slightly, whenever Felix scrunched his nose up for a certain reason.  
  
It was a rather familiar sight to Changbin by now.  
  
Over the past months, he had spent quite some time with the orange-haired alpha and had grown close to him.  
  
Felix was easy to be around.  
Quiet, but attentive and responsive enough for Changbin to feel noticed.  
  
Calm and not as hot-headed as many other alphas, like Minho for example.  
  
And always ready to talk about whatever came to their minds, even if it was just Changbin begging the alpha to speak English, so the omega could hear the other's voice form those foreign sounds that he had always found somewhat beautiful to listen to.  
  
“I'm a little confused!” Changbin finally answered Felix question.  
“About the whole leaving-thing!”  
  
Maybe talking about it would make things clearer for himself.  
And he knew from experience, that the freckled alpha was a great listener!  
  
“Confused in which sense?”  
  
Felix absentmindedly ripped out a long blade of grass, that was growing beside them and started tickling Changbin's hand with it, letting it dance over his fingers.  
  
It was a soft sensation, something that made the omega relax even more.  
He sighed deeply.  
  
“You know, I always thought, I'd stay at Chan's side forever!”, he eventually began in a hushed tone.  
  
For some reason he wanted no one else to listen in on their conversation, even if the clearing was currently void of any of the other boys.  
  
“So, when Jisung told me, that they would be leaving again, I just accepted it, even though I wasn't fully aboard with this decision. I don't get those urges to run away, like my friends do, especially Jisung.”  
  
Pausing shortly to turn his hand around, so Felix could drag his blade of grass over his open palm, Changbin searched for words, with which he could explain his inner struggle.  
  
“It was natural for me, that I'd go with them. They are family after all. But now-...”  
  
He trailed off, his eyes following the movements of Felix hand, as his brain yet again tried to put his emotions into proper sentences.  
  
“Now Minho and Jeongin are coming with us as well, abandoning their home and you guys, although you were their family, and I can't help but think...”, Changbin swallowed heavily, before he quietly added: “what if I want to make my own decision as well? What if I don't want to leave?”  
  
When he looked up, his helpless gaze met Felix's.  
The alpha was staring at him silently, brows furrowed lightly, as if he was trying to figure something out.  
  
Then, the boy's features evened.  
“So why don't you?” he asked Changbin, making the omega cock his head in confusion.  
“Make your own decision, I mean.”  
  
Averting his eyes, Changbin bit his lip.  
  
His free hand itched, wanting to grip the other and play with his fingers, but Felix had started drawing soft patterns into his skin and the omega refused to sacrifice the feeling of that for his nervous habit.  
  
“I don't want to leave them!”, he admitted tonelessly, his voice failing him, as a big lump started forming within his throat at the thought of his friends setting off without him.  
“But I don't want to leave this place and you guys either!”  
  
Humming in obvious understanding, Felix nodded slightly.  
  
The alpha was still staring at him, but that was something Changbin had gotten used to by now.  
  
Felix always stared while talking to someone.  
  
As if he was trying to look inside his friends to find out, what they were struggling to say out loud.  
  
“But they will come back!”, the orangehead finally commented.  
“It will take a few months, but eventually, they will return here. So whether you choose to leave with them or stay here, in the end, you will end up at the apartment-tower again, with everyone by your side!”  
  
The alpha's words were like the warm rays of the sun, and opened Changbin's eyes to the truth that he had been unable to notice until now.  
  
Of course!  
This wasn't a decision for life!  
  
Sure, he still had to choose, still had to decide, whether he wanted to to remain at his friend's side for the next few months or wait for them to get back.  
But it was only temporary!  
  
“I'm tired of traveling!”  
  
The words blurted out of Changbin before he even realized their meaning.  
  
Felix seemed to be just as surprised as he was, the alpha's brown orbs big and round.  
  
His movements at Changbin's hand stopped, until the omega let out a soft whine, ushering his friend to continue.  
  
“Does that imply, you want to stay here, even if Chan, Hyunjin and Jisung leave for the next few months?”  
  
This time, Changbin's teeth broke skin as he dug them into his lower lip.  
  
Felix voicing the whole situation made it all too clear, what his decision meant.  
  
And it hurt, a stinging pain within his rib-cage, that made him tear up a bit.  
  
For some reason, he was missing Chan already, although his friend wasn't even gone yet.  
  
“I don't want to leave Channie!”, he whispered and that was, when Felix wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, the alpha's warmth comforting Changbin, even though his friend's slim form was barely able to engulf his own broad torso.  
  
“I know, you don't!”, the freckled boy replied quietly.  
  
“I don't think, I'd be able to leave Woojin's side, if I'm honest. But if you do decide, you want to stay with us, here at the building, and wait for the others to return on their own...”, Felix nuzzled Changbin's temple affectionately. “then you will be more than welcome here! Woojinnie-hyung, me and Minnie will distract you until the end of the year, I promise! I won't let you feel lonely!”  
  
This time, Changbin couldn't help but smile at the alpha's words.  
  
“I'll take you up on that then!”, he gave back, well aware, what he was saying.  
  
If he was honest, he had made his decision much earlier.  
He just had been too afraid to voice it.  
  
Leaning back a bit, Felix looked at him wide-eyed.  
  
“You mean it?”, he asked incredulously, but his disbelief immediately got replaced by a broad grin, when Changbin nodded.  
  
“You better keep your promise, though!”, the omega warned jokingly, Felix only laughing in reply.  
  
In that moment, the main door behind them was pulled open harshly, making bot of their heads whip around in unison.  
  
Panting heavily, Jisung slipped outside, eyes sparkling with mischief and a slight bit of panic.  
  
When the omega's gaze fell on Changbin and Felix, he quickly descended the stairs to reach them.  
  
“No matter what,”, he whisper-yelled at them, casting nervous glances back towards the main entrance.  
“Do not – and I repeat – not tell Minho where I am!”  
  
Then, without another word, he bolted away into the direction of the stream, disappearing only a moment later.  
  
Changbin wanted to say something, but the words were ripped from his lips, when once again, the door behind them flew open, this time to reveal a wheezing Minho, looking more than just pissed off.  
  
Gulping, Changbin scooted closer towards Felix.  
  
“Where is he, I swear to the heavens above, if I get my hands on him...!”  
  
Growling, Minho turned his head from one side to the other, obviously searching for Jisung.  
  
“What did he do this time?”  
  
There was compressed bemusement noticeable within Felix deep voice and Changbin could see the frown on Minho's face because of that.  
  
Nonetheless, the fuming alpha answered.  
  
“Him and Seungmin apparently hid some chestnut-shells within my bed!”  
  
The alpha huffed.  
  
“Those fuckers sting like hell, if you lie down on them without expecting it!”  
  
Despite his respect for Minho, Changbin couldn't help but burst out laughing, Felix joining in only a second later, which elicited a sulky grumble from Minho, who mumbled something along the lines of _“This is not funny!”_ and _“Try sitting down on a fucking chestnut-shell!”_  
  
Eventually, Changbin felt his laughing fit die down again, and he wiped a stray tear out of the corner of his left eye.  
  
“Man, I'm gonna miss you guys!”, he announced, still giggling slightly.  
  
Immediately, Minho's annoyed features turned serious.  
  
“You are not coming with us?”, he asked, sounding just as surprised, as Felix had.  
  
Shaking his head with an aching but determined heart, Changbin smiled.  
  
“I'm tired of searching for something that I never had the urge to find.”, he answered quietly.  
  
“I'm gonna stay here, with Felix, Woojin-hyung and Minnie, and wait for you guys to get back.”  
  
He met Minho's intense gaze.  
  
“Look after Sungie for me, will you?”, he asked.  
  
Minho left his spot at the door to walk down the few steps and lower himself into a squad beside Changbin.  
  
“I promise, I will bring him back safe and sound!”, the alpha assured solemnly, not breaking the eye-contact between him and Changbin.  
  
“Nothing will happen to him!”  
  
Then, just as quickly, as the alpha had gotten serious, the exasperated expression returned to his face and once again, he scanned the clearing.  
  
“This promise, however,”, he growled. “will only start taking action, once I've whooped Sungie's ass for making mine sore! Where did he go?”  
  
Changbin and Felix shared a malicious grin and without hesitation, they both pointed in the direction Jisung had taken off to.  
  
Giving them a curt nod, Minho bolted off.  
  
Sighing, Changbin chuckled quietly.  
  
“You think, Sungie's gonna be alright?”, he asked, words directed at Felix.  
  
The freckled alpha smiled lightly.  
  
“He's gonna be fine, don't worry!”, he gave back assuringly.  
  
“Jisung's strong as hell and together with Minho, the both of them will be unstoppable!”  
  
A blood-curdling scream ripped through the air, interrupting their conversation shortly and making the both of them flinch a bit.  
  
“If Minho doesn't kill him first!”, Felix added dryly, once his shock had died down again.  
“Heavens, that sounded bad!”  
  
For a moment, it was quiet, then, Changbin turned back towards the orangehead.  
  
“You wanna go and watch?”, he asked in bemusement.  
  
Felix lips spread into an evil grin.  
  
“I'd love to!”, the alpha agreed, the both of them leaving their spot at the stairs to jog towards the stream.  
  
The sun was still warm on Changbin's face, and he smiled once more.  
  
Now, that he had made his decision, he felt much lighter, much calmer inside, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.  
  
Yes, he would miss his friends like hell!  
  
He would probably cry a lot, too!  
  
But he had Felix! And Woojin! And Seungmin!  
They would be there for him, and would wait alongside him for their pack-mates to return home.  
  
And Minho would help Chan protect the other part of their group, that he was sure off.  
  
Everything would be fine!  
  
“For fucks sake, Minho, let Jisung live!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Please remember, that this story has a happy ending for everyone, before you kill me!!
> 
> BTW, I’m gonna post two extra scenes soon! They are not the requested ones, but maybe you will enjoy them nonetheless!;)
> 
> STORY-TIME:
> 
> I was at work a few days ago and nothing was there for me to do, which was why I was hella bored.  
> So, having nothing to do, I suddenly had an idea for a Woochan-cuddle-scene (not for this book though) and I just had to write it down. 
> 
> There are some scrapbooks scattered around the whole place I work at, so I just ripped out a page and scribbled down the scene I was thinking off. Then I went back to work when another customer came and FORGOT ABOUT THE PAGE AND JUST LEFT IT THERE!!!
> 
> the day after that, my boss came up to me, pushed the crumpled page with my scene on it into my hand and said: „here, I found your...notes...or whatever that is!“.
> 
> MY BOSS FUCKING READ MY GAY-ASS WOOCHAN FANFICTION CUDDLE SCENE!!! PLEASE JUST KILL ME NOW!!!
> 
> well, anyways, that was my weak*.*
> 
> AND ALSO, HAVE YOU LISTENED TO CHANNIES SONG???  
> CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME, THAT IM NOT THE ONLY ONE, WHO THOUGHT, IT WAS DEDICATED TO WOOJINS DEPARTURE???
> 
> ALSO, ITS FUCKING AMAZING!!!  
> I kinda cried eventually...
> 
> Stay save, everyone!!
> 
> ~I stayed up all night, I can‘t stop thinking ‚bout you!  
> Dadadadada dadadadada just STAY with me...~  
> („Hate to admit“ by Bang Chan)


	31. Chapter 31: Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The happy ending we all deserve, especially the Boys and my Readers;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drums please! 
> 
> Here we have.... THE FINALE!
> 
> Nah just kiddin, it's awfully sappy and cliche, but yeah,...
> 
> Seriously, this is the sappiest shit ive ever written! Woochan is nothing against this!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!;)

The day of the departure came sooner, than Changbin had liked for it to.  
  
He had expected for it to be a special day, a sad and yet weirldy exciting day, but to his surprise, it was nothing like that.  
The morning was just like any other, quiet and calm.  
  
Aside from the fact, that they ate in the morning this time, something they usually didn't, Changbin couldn't really feel the difference.  
  
But it was there, tingling in the tips of his fingers and making him a little antsy.  
  
When the sun peaked over the tree-tops of the forest, the whole group of them gathered outside.  
No one spoke at first, all of them just quietly watching the first sun-rays fondle their way through the morning mist and lightning up the dew-covered clearing.  
  
But eventually, Jeongin started shuffling in his spot impatiently, backpack slipping from one side of his back to the other and creating a chafing sound.  
  
Next, Jisung started to bop on his toes, his eyes darting towards the stream again and again.  
Only minutes later, Hyunjin joined in.  
  
And that was, when Chan finally turned towards Woojin, his black eyes filled with anticipation and sadness to equal part.  
  
“Thank you for everything you have done for us!”, he mumbled, the words barely audible to Changbin.  
“Without you guys, I'm not sure, whether we would have survived! We will come back!”  
  
And even quieter, he added: “I promise I will bring them back! All of them! All of us!”  
  
Wordlessly, Woojin simply stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the blond leader, squeezing him tightly.  
  
As their hug lasted, Changbin suddenly found himself face to face with Jisung.  
The younger omega's eyes were filled with sorrow, yet Changbin could practically feel him vibrate with impatience.  
  
“We will be back, Binnie!”, Jisung assured before pulling Changbin into an embrace, that tightened, when Hyunjin stepped up to them to wrap his arms around them as well.  
  
“Wait for us and protect the others, alright?”, the tall alpha mumbled, leaving Changbin unable to respond with anything, other than a hum.  
  
For some reason he felt unable to speak. And unable to cry, as if something within him had been turned off.  
  
Letting him go, Jisung and Hyunjin threw him one last glance, then they stepped back and returned to their positions, waiting for everyone to finish.  
  
When Chan finally approached Changbin, the omega felt himself swallow hard.  
  
His friend had been the most devastated, when Changbin had announced, that he wouldn't come with them this time.  
  
“Hey Binnie!”  
  
Chan's hushed voice was enough to break down Changbin's wall, and he felt himself fall into his best friend's arms, burying his face in the blond's shoulder.  
Wrapping his arms so tightly around Changbin, that the younger thought, Chan would never let him go again, the leader exhaled shakily.  
  
“Remember, I'm always gonna come back!”, he mumbled, making Changbin bite down on his lip as hard as possible to not let the tears fall, that were burning within his eyes.  
“I'm always gonna come back to you!”  
  
_'I know!'_ , Changbin wanted to reply, but nothing left his lips but a broken sob.  
His hands had started clawing around Chan's sweater and he greedily inhaled his friend's calming scent one last time, relishing in the blond's mumbled English words, that he had always loved to listen to.  
  
After a while, they both pulled back and Changbin was forced to loosen his grip onto Chan, looking up to his best friend with a quivering smile.  
His eyes had managed to stay dry despite the stinging pain within his chest and throat.  
  
“Promise, you will come back safe and sound, without any life-threatening injuries?”, he joked half-heartedly to lighten the mood a bit.  
  
Chan's dark orbs were glistening too, when he looked at Changbin with a small smile as well.  
  
His necklace was missing, how Changbin subconsciously noticed.  
  
“Promise!”, he gave back, locking their pinkies together, how they had done many times before during their promises.  
Changbin knew, it was the truth – like always when it came to Chan.  
  
And then, Chan was gone, along with Jisung, Hyunjin, Minho and Jeongin.  
  
The five boys simply waved them one last time and crossed the stream, disappearing into the forest.  
  
Changbin had no clue, how long he had stood there, staring after them, as if he could still detect their figures somewhere.  
Eventually, a light tap on his shoulder got him out of his trance-like state, and when he turned his head, Woojin stood to his left, looking down at him with a warm smile.  
  
“They will come back, don't worry!”, he mumbled, his words a low rumble within his chest.  
“And until then, we will wait for them, fulfilling out daily duties and watch over our home, so they have a place to return to, alright?”  
  
Nodding softly, Changbin let himself fall into Woojin's awaitingly outstretched arms.  
Weird how he hadn't even noticed before, that Woojin's smell was oddly calming, despite him being an alpha.  
Way softer than Minho's. Similar to Chan's even.  
  
“Thank you, hyung!”, he mumbled into the older's chest, the alpha only humming and rubbing his back soothingly.  
  
“Let's go and discuss today's chores!”, Woojin eventually proposed.  
“I'm pretty sure, we have to go hunting, and I really need your help with that, since Felix and Seungmin are useless in that part of survival!”  
  
Standing up straight again, Changbin took in a deep inhale.  
The knot within his chest had loosened, letting him breathe more freely again.  
  
He tried a grin.  
  
“Sure hyung!”  
  
His voice was surprisingly steady.  
  
“Let's enjoy this summer!”  
__________  
  
_About five months later..._  
  
  
The warm rays of the evening-sun tickled Woojin's face, as he descended the lithic stairs in front of the apartment-tower, his bare feet padding over the stone, until he reached the soft grass, the green blades embracing his soles in a welcoming gesture.  
  
Sighing in comfort, Woojin started strolling around a bit while he enjoyed the sensation on his skin and closed his eyes to bath in the golden light of the late afternoon.  
  
It had been a hot day, the temperatures still high enough to make them break out in sweat during their daily chores.  
But now, hours after the highest point of the sun's path, it was actually endurable, pleasant even.  
  
Nonetheless, Woojin could already feel the season changing again.  
  
He detected it in the faster approaching dark and the cooler mornings, the picking up of the north-wind and the ripe fruits, that were covering almost every tree by now, making each of their meals a feast.  
Autumn was returning slowly but carefully, and Woojin doubted, it would take all too long for the leaves to start turning colorful and the sun to loose it's strength.  
  
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell on the silhouettes of the mountains, that were towering in the distance, and his thoughts started drifting towards the other event, that everyone within the apartment-tower was currently waiting for in antsy anticipation.  
  
The return of the other part of their pack!  
  
Woojin wasn't sure, when they could expect the others to finally come back.  
After all, they haven't had any contact in months.  
  
Not that he had expected them to somehow check in, but the lack of any kind of knowledge about their well-being was weird and off-setting nonetheless.  
  
After the others' departure, Changbin and Seungmin had been the ones to suffer the most, if Woojin thought back to it.  
  
Even if Changbin had been pretty stable on the first day, the omega had crumbled after the realization had finally kicked in, that his friends were now actually gone for the next few months.  
The short boy had been inconsolable for days, refusing to eat or sleep and Woojin had already seen himself tracking down Chan's scent to bring Changbin back to his pack.  
  
Only Felix had never given up, staying at Changbin's side during the omega's complete breakdown, until finally, he had been able to coax the short boy into eating again.  
After that, Changbin had eventually calmed down and accepted his new style of life, even beginning to help Woojin with the hunts again.  
  
Most of the first weeks, though, the omega had spent at Felix' side, the freckled alpha coming up with a simple counting system to keep Changbin's impatience in check.  
  
Each day, both boys would add another scratch to one of the main hall's walls.  
Four scratches beside each other, one scratch crossing them, marking five days.  
That was, how Felix and Changbin were counting the months, until Chan and his group would come back.  
  
Seungmin hadn't been as dramatic as Changbin, being a lot more quiet during his period of grief, but Woojin could see the loneliness within his brother's eyes whenever the omega turned to his empty side to ask Jeongin about something, that the younger alpha couldn't possibly answer due to his absence.  
  
Nonetheless, they had handled their life at the apartment-tower pretty well, even with five members less to share their duties with.  
  
The watch-shifts at night had gotten tougher, yes, forcing Woojin to only assign one person to guard at a time, instead of two.  
Like that, each day, one of them got to sleep a full night, which made it easier for all of them to cope with the new load of responsibility that came with watching alone, but despite that, it was a little more difficult than it had been with still nine people at the building.  
  
Halting his casual steps, Woojin fluttered his eyes back open, the sun blinding him for a moment, before he was able to make out his surroundings again.  
His gaze wandered back to the towering figure of the building behind him.  
  
Actually, now that he properly thought about it, many things had changed after Chan's group's departure, had slowly shifted and settled into place.  
  
For example, Changbin had gotten a lot closer to all of the remaining boys, Woojin included.  
Even if the omega had first only stuck to Felix, after his first shock about the temporary loss of his friends had passed, he had even started sleeping beside Woojin only two weeks after they were left alone.  
  
Smiling at the thought, the alpha carded a hand through his dark bangs to get them out of his eyes.  
Seungmin had just cut them for him only about a month ago, but for some reason, they seemed to be growing faster than normally.  
  
Besides the bigger show of affection between all of them, they had also started a ritual, that Woojin himself was very fond of.  
  
The daily singing!  
  
Every evening, their small group would gather around the campfire and sing together, like Minho, Seungmin, Jeongin and Woojin had done sometimes a few months back before the arrival of Chan's pack at their home.  
  
From Changbin, Woojin had learned, that their group had done the same and so, they had made it their evening-event, teaching Changbin the songs, they knew, while the short omega returned the favor with his own melodies.  
  
It was like a healing experience again every time and Woojin was determined to keep the habit, even when Chan and his friends would come back from their journey.  
  
A sudden noise demanded Woojin's attention and tore his string of thoughts in half.  
Attentively, he let his gaze fly over the line of trees around him, but nothing caught his eye.  
  
Not that he was too worried.  
It was still summer, after all, meaning, even if another person was around here, they probably weren't desperate enough to fight for food or a place to spent the night at.  
The temperatures still didn't drop that deep.  
  
Nonetheless, Woojin couldn't help but be a little suspicious.  
  
The noise he had picked up on hadn't just been wind rustling within leaves or animals sneaking through branch-wood.  
No, it had sounded more like the distant tapping of feet over earthy soil.  
  
Insistently listening to his surroundings, Woojin closed his eyes once more, sharpening his senses.  
  
The warmth of the sun on his skin faded into the background, as did the soft tickling of grass on his bare feet.  
He focused on his ears only, until he was able to distinguish different sounds.  
  
The soft gurgling of the stream, the light swirling sound the wind made, when it brushed past the tree-tops, the cries of some birds passing him high above the sky.  
  
At first, nothing else reached Woojin's conscience. Until suddenly, he heard it again!  
  
Tapping, running, thundering steps against the ground, coming closer and closer!  
Now, that Woojin was focusing on it, he could almost feel the ground vibrating from the intensity of whatever was coming his way.  
  
_Holy shit, it was coming his way!_  
  
Hit by the realization, Woojin felt his whole body going alert.  
His protesting muscles tensed, still tired from today's hunt.   
Eyes shooting open, he felt his heartbeat speed up, until adrenaline was being pumped through his veins, letting him forget about his prior drowsiness.  
  
What was that? Or rather, who was that?  
Were those enemies? Another pack?  
  
Judging by the noise, it wasn't just one person.  
  
_Or could it be...?_  
  
Just when he was contemplating about running back to the apartment-tower to warn Seungmin, Changbin and Felix, who were in there, enjoying their free time together, the figure of a person suddenly broke out of the forest at the other side of the stream.  
  
A few agile jumps brought them onto the clearing, from where they started bolting towards Woojin at lightning speed.  
  
Woojin himself was too startled to react.  
His inner wolf wanted him to fight for him and his pack, his first own instinct was to run and get the hell away from that maniac sprinting his direction, and a tiny part of his brain was hopeful enough to stay in his very place, which resulted in him not being able to move at all.  
  
  
“Hyung!”  
  
The shrill screech reached his ears and almost damaged his eardrums the exact same moment, when a surprisingly huge weight crashed into him at full force and threw him to the ground.  
All Woojin was left to do, was to let out a surprised grunt, then all the air that had been left within his lugs was taken from him by the person's entire body landing on him, squashing him like a ripe berry in the process.  
  
“Finally! I missed you so much!”  
  
Woojin's brain finally clicked.  
Nonetheless, all he was able to get out, was a dry cough, until the boy on top of him decided to have mercy on him and sat up within his lap, enabling him to do the same.  
And finally wrap his arms around the newcomer.  
  
“Innie, for fucks sake, you almost gave me a heart attack!”  
  
Despite his words, Woojin couldn't help the growing smile that was spreading his lips apart further and further, as his embrace tightened on the younger alpha.  
  
“Woojinnie-hyung, I can't breath!”, said boy gasped out dramatically, and Woojin reluctantly loosened his hold on the alpha.  
If it had been up to him, he wouldn't have let go of Jeongin ever again.  
  
As he leaned back a bit to look at his friend properly, he realized, how much the boy had changed over the last months.  
  
Jeongin was bigger! Like, way taller than before.  
Still as slim and lean, but almost taller than himself, if Woojin had to make assumptions.  
  
The alpha's hair had gotten longer as well, and his facial features looked a little sharper, making him appear more mature.  
But his grin had stayed the same!  
  
“I raced Jinnie here, but seems like I was way faster!”, he told Woojin, only to get cut off by a huff, that almost startled the oldest half to death.  
  
He hadn't realized at all, that another person had reached them by now.  
  
“No, you only won, because you bribed Sungie to hold onto me, until you had a good 300 feet heads-on!”  
  
Hyunjin sounded sulky and again, Woojin couldn't hide his smile.  
Jeongin shook his head.  
  
“I dared him to!”, he corrected while getting off Woojin's lap to enable to older to stand up again and hug Hyunjin.  
  
When Woojin wrapped his arms around the tall alpha that he hadn't seen for months either, he felt a bubbling happiness start to built up within him, his inner wolf practically dancing at the thought of getting his whole pack back.  
  
“Welcome home!”, he whispered, and Hyunjin sniffed, the alpha seemingly close to tears for some reason.  
  
But before Woojin could ponder about that, he was flung to the side once more, his poor spine colliding with the thankfully soft soil a second time this day.  
  
“Woo!”  
  
This time, it was on Woojin to blink back a few tears, as he ignored his aching back and hugged his best friend so tightly, the former let out a little sputter.  
  
“Heavens, I missed you so much, Min!”, he mumbled into Minho's shoulder, inhaling the alpha's sharp scent that smelled like home to him.  
He wasn't sure, if he had simply refrained from really thinking about it, or if he had ignored the feeling until now, but in this very moment, he got aware, of how empty he had actually felt without Minho by his side.  
Finally, his best friend was back!  
  
“Wow, don't get sappy, you big baby!”, Minho choked out, clearly fighting back sobs as well, if his quivering lower lip was anything to go by.  
Woojin could only laugh, his chest feeling absolutely weightless and yet spilling over with joy.  
  
“Jeez, Lino, let him breathe!”, another voice cut in. Minho was lifted off Woojin's chest, giving him two seconds to get a lungful of air, before again, another body was dumped on him.  
  
“Woojinnie-hyung, hi there!”  
  
A pair of brown eyes was staring at him mischievously, and Woojin could only grin back.  
  
“Hey, Jisung!”, he greeted, carefully hugging the boy to not scare him.  
But his concerns seemed to be unnecessary, for the omega on top of his wrapped his strong arms around Woojin's middle and squeezed him to oblivion.  
  
“Have you made it to your mountains?”  
  
Jisung's eyes were practically sparkling, as he nodded.  
  
“I lived Nesrin's dream!”, he whispered back, his grin morphing into a solemn smile.  
“I saw the whole world from above!”  
  
Woojin would have liked to tell the omega, how happy he was for him, but unfortunately, Jisung's constant squeezing was preventing any fresh air from filling his greedy lungs, and therefore, he was once again short on oxygen.  
He coughed lightly.  
  
“Do not kill my best friend!”, came Minho's warning voice from beside the both of them, causing Jisung to roll off Woojin to get up again.  
The older alpha followed the younger boy's example with a soft breath of relief and a helping hand provided to him by Hyunjin.  
  
“Like you were any gentler!”, Jisung shot back at Minho, and Woojin couldn't help but laugh again, the scene of Jisung and Minho bickering being so unbelievably familiar.  
  
“You two really haven't changed!”, he chuckled at the duo in front of him, but when the two boys turned towards him in unison, Woojin had to realize, that his statement wasn't entirely true.  
  
By now, Jisung and Minho were the same height.  
Jisung seemed older, his cheeks a little less puffy than before and he looked more mature altogether, while Minho had gained muscles, especially within his legs.  
  
Their clothes were carrying dirty patches here and there and their hair was just as messy as the one of Jeongin.  
Hyunjin seemed to be the only one who had stuck with his beloved headband, keeping his black bangs out of the tall alpha's pretty face, that had lost a little of it's childlike appearance as well.  
  
“Oh, trust me, I have matured!”, Minho assured Woojin, referring to the oldest's prior words.  
“But he's still the same crackhead he used to be!”  
  
The alpha's finger pointed at Jisung, almost poking the omega's eye out in the process.  
  
Woojin winced.  
He had been right all along! Nothing had changed!  
  
“Matured, my ass!”, Jisung retorted in that moment, grabbing Minho's wrist to move the alpha's hand out of his face.  
“Only yesterday, you were whining about your sore feet!”  
  
“And I had every right to!”, Minho complained, but before a fight could break out, a firm voice interrupted their discussion, that Woojin had only been watching helplessly.  
  
“Guys, slow down, let Woojin breathe and go greet the others, before you tackle each other's throats again!”  
  
A warm sensation invaded Woojin's whole body, as he turned around to welcome the owner of the calming scent, that now flooded his senses like a soothing wave of warm water.  
  
Chan looked different as well.  
He was still as pale as ever, but his hair had grown out a bit as well, one side of his bangs now being held captive by some complicated looking braid, that was being held together by a short string of what Woojin assumed was leather.  
  
Black fabric was covering the other leader's knuckles, leaving his fingertips free and revealing his dirty and broken nails to Woojin, and his shirt was plain black, a gray sweater wrapped around his hips - all clothes, Woojin couldn't exactly remember, be it from lack of knowledge or the amount of time he hadn't seen the other group.  
  
But Chan's eyes were still the same.  
  
Warm and happy they shone, yet looking as dark and deep as ever.  
Woojin could still see an ounce of the old pain within them, but aside from that, they were filled with pure joy and affection, Chan's dimples still curving the boy's cheeks inwards, like they always had, when he was genuinely content.  
  
“Hey Woojin!”  
  
The greeting was enough to make Woojin crumble, and he stumbled forward, his arms capturing Chan in a tight hug.  
  
The winter Chan and him had spent together, they had gotten really close.  
So close, that at some point, Chan had started putting his head in Woojin's lap as well, if he had trouble falling asleep.  
So Close, that Woojin's inner wolf had only been satisfied when given skinship with the blond leader.  
So close, that at some point, Woojin had begun to make the place beside Chan his standard spot during their times around the campfire.  
  
The blond had known, what it was like to carry a lot of responsibility, and Woojin knew, he could rely on the other leader.  
At all times!  
  
Now, after months of having to lead alone, of carrying the weight of every decision on his own shoulders, Woojin wasn't only happy, that Chan was back, no he was also unbelievably relieved.  
  
Additionally, his mourning inner wolf could finally rest.  
Chan had kept his word!  
  
“Welcome home, Channie!”, he whispered, as strong arms squeezed him back gently, a warm body pressing against his own.  
“Thank you for keeping your promise!”  
  
“Good to be back!”  
  
Chan's voice sounded weirdly pressed, but Woojin was in no mood to loosed his hold on the other leader to check, why.  
Only when Jisung piped up again, he forced himself to look up.  
  
“Look, our parents are reunited!”  
  
The omega's eyes glistened as well.  
  
Whipping his head around to Jisung, Minho raised a warning finger at the boy.  
  
“Don't you dare cry!”, he threatened.  
“I will cry too and I don't feel like doing that right now!”  
  
But Jisung already started sniffling, stepping closer to Minho to bury his face in the alpha's shoulder, who let out a defeated sigh and put an arm around the omega's form with tears brimming in his own eyes.  
  
Only seconds later, everyone on the clearing was crying, save for Jeongin, who looked more exasperated than moved.  
  
It didn't change, when the door of the apartment-tower finally flew open and Changbin barged outside to tackle first Chan, then Hyunjin and Jisung into a seemingly never-ending hug, closely followed by Felix, who even hugged Woojin again in his streak of tears and joy upon the other groups return.  
  
“If all of you are crying, then maybe you should have never left in the first place!”  
  
Seungmin's tone was dry, but his facial expression lightened up, when Jeongin yelled out a deafening “Minnie!”, before body-slamming the healer to the ground as well.  
  
Woojin himself - after having been thrown off his feet for the third time by Felix - had given up on standing up again, now sitting on the soft grass of the clearing with Chan beside him and a still slightly sniffling Minho leaned against him.  
  
The latter got up though, when he lay his eyes on the healer, to join in on the sandwich that consisted out of a giggling Jeongin and a mockingly groaning Seungmin, whose joking noises of pain turned real, after the alpha threw himself on top of the two boys as well and effectively buried them beneath his form.  
  
“For fucks sake, Minho!”, Seungmin cursed, only to get shut off by Minho placing an eager peck on the omega's cheek with a devilish grin, before he rolled off Jeongin's back to let the two boys breathe again.  
  
For some reason, the action effectively let Changbin burst into tears one more time. Mumbling strings of words like “I missed you guys so much!”, he buried his face within Chan's arm once more, while Jisung on the other hand started giggling uncontrollably.  
  
Hyunjin only rolled his eyes, as he walked over to Seungmin and freed him of Jeongin as well, before he helped him up to hug him too, although much gentler than Jeongin or Minho had done.  
  
“Still happy to have us back?”  
  
Upon hearing the playful words, Woojin turned his head to meet Chan's mischievous gaze.  
The blond used his free hand to motion towards the mess going on around them.  
  
Woojin let his gaze wander.  
  
At the horizon, slowly but carefully, the sun was disappearing behind the trees, leaving nothing behind but the orange colored sky.  
The now slightly chillier air was filled with laughter and the mixing scents of his friends.  
  
To Woojin it smelled like safety.  
Like home.  
  
His lips almost aching from his not vanishing smile, Woojin ranked his arm around Chan's middle to pull him a little closer and put his own head on the blond's shoulder.  
  
Deeply he inhaled the blond‘s calming scent, which he had missed so much the past few months.   
  
“So fucking happy, you wouldn't believe!”, he mumbled back.  
  
And his heart practically vibrated within his chest.  
His pack was complete again!  
  
“Good thing, we went hunting today!”, Changbin commented hoarsely from the side, wiping his nose with his sleeve.  
“Or else we wouldn't have enough to feed your asses!”  
  
“They ain't getting inside the building anyways, before they haven't washed themselves properly and cleaned their nails!”, came Seungmin's determined shout back, as he pointed at the newcomer's hands.  
  
Woojin neither could, nor wanted to hold back, when loud, happy waves of laughter broke out of his chest, making his shoulders shake and his eyes water.  
  
And when one after another, his friend's joined him, he knew, that within this weird, fucked up world they had grown up in, he had never wanted to change a single thing.  
For everything led him to where he was right now.  
  
Among his family!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, Folks! The last chapter is over! We have completed the Story!
> 
> I just wanted to thank every single one of my Readers for their great Support! This was my first Story and additionally also the first i puclished here, and it really meant a lot to me!
> 
> So thank you for all the kudos and Kind comments, for all the theories and opinions! I don't know how to tell you all, how happy i am!:')))
> 
> Stay save, everyone!!!
> 
> P.S. Here is a list of the Scenes, i am still intending to write/post  
> -Minsung Encounter a foreign object during their trip (already done)  
> -Minho learns to swim (this is a Long one)(already done)  
> -origin of Minho's scar (not started yet)  
> _everyone's past that i haven't posted yet (this is gonna take a while; I'm currently stuck with Changbin's...-.-)  
> -Changlix Scene (not even mapped out yet, sry guys)  
> -talk between Seungmin and Jeongin after Jeongin's decision to go with Chan (mapped out and in Progress)  
> -short Scene between Seungjin after the Operation (not yet mapped out)  
> -evtl. planned: Tension-filled practice-fight between Minho, Chan and WOojin (not sure about this one yet though; depends on my Motivation and time!)


	32. Statement regarding Woojin!

Hallo to everyone reading this, be they original readers of my story, or new ones.

First of all, I want to say, that I am sorry, you all have to go through something like this, with Woojin first leaving StrayKids, and now with the popping up of such rumors about him.  
I know, many stays are deeply hurt and I understand that perfectly.  
Should Woojin really be guilty of what those girls went into public with, I am not sure, how I will ever watch older StrayKids Vlives or music videos again.  
I have personal experiences on the topic those girls talked about, and i really hope for them, they can leave it behind them one day and live on.

Woojin‘s Statement disappointed me with how unprofessional and - to say it directly - ‚half-assed‘ it sounded.  
I am still waiting for further updates and I really hope, he will apologize, simply for his lack of a proper statement, whether he is guilty or not.

Now, about what all of this means for this story:  
I thought about it ever since the rumors started and I have come to the following conclusion:

For me, the characters in my book were definitely based off StrayKids.  
However, I never really stuck to their real characteristics perfectly, always added some based on my own imagination. Therefore, the Woojin in the story also doesn’t correspond to his real alter ego either. And based on that, I decided to accept my story-Woojin as an independent character.  
I thought about deleting my story at first, but it costed me over a year worth of writing and editing, almost on a daily basis, and therefore, I couldn’t bring myself to throw all that away.

I thought of changing woojin‘s Name in my story, but as long as his accusations aren’t varified, I’d like to sit back and wait for further developments.  
My other woochan story is on hold until we all know more.

Finally, thank all of you for all your support of this story!  
It’s been a while, since I finished it and I know, there are still some extra scenes, that need posting as well as writing. They will come, I promise!  
Im just up to my neck in assignments right now, so I don’t really have that much time, but I will get to it!

All of you are free to run loose in the comments!  
Text me your opinion, rant, whatever.  
If you have preferences regarding how I presume with this story, as well as my other one, you are free to state your opinion! The final decision will be with me, but I would love to hear about, what you think about all this.

To everyone, who doesn’t want anything to do with this story anymore, I understand and respect your decision.

Stay save and stay strong everyone!   
Don’t spread hate, please, until we know, that it was really woojin, who molested these girls.  
They never actually named him directly after all, and I’m still kind of hoping, all of this is a big misunderstanding, but I guess, that’s too naive of me...  
Im sorry for that, i just can’t help it...hope dies last after all...

To those girls out there:   
Again, I am sorry you had to go through that. I really hope, that the one responsible will face consequences and that you will find a way back to how and who you were before this incident!  
I doubt that you will ever read this, but I wanted this statement out there nonetheless!

I am here, if anyone needs/wants to talk!


End file.
